Sisters: A Prue and Paige FanFic
by Paul Anthony
Summary: After being shot by a darklighter's arrow, Paige Matthews, instead of dying, is sent to limbo, where she meets her long-lost sister Prue. What will they think of each other? How will Piper and Phoebe react?
1. Whitelighter Down

**

* * *

**

Whitelighter Down

"Help! Someone help me!"

Lauren Stevens was screaming as loud as she could as she ran down the dark back alleys of San Francisco. She had never been more scared than she was at this very moment.

"Please, someone, anyone, help me!!" she yelled again, but no-one heard her.

She continued running, towards the slit of light she could see at the end of the alley. If she could just make it out to the streets, she would be safe in amongst the bustling streets, she thought. Her long brunette hair billowed behind her as she broke into a sprint.

However, before she could reach the light, a mass of black orbs materialised in front of her. She gasped in horror as the orbs cleared, and there stood a tall, dark man dressed in black. He held a crossbow in his hand.

"What do you want from me?!?" Lauren screamed, her eyes full of tears.

"Oh, Lauren, its simple really," said the man, approaching Lauren as she stepped backwards, "You see, I am a darklighter, and it is my sworn duty to rid the world of our sworn enemies; whitelighters."

"But I'm _not_ a whitelighter!"

"Not yet, you're not," smirked the darklighter, as they both stopped, "However, if you were to keep cavorting with your new best friends, you would be, and you see, I just can't let that happen."

"What are you talking about?" asked Lauren, the tears now rolling down her face, "What do Billie and Paige have to do with this?"

"Oh, you don't know yet?" said the darklighter, with a small laugh, "Well, I suppose you should know before you die. You see, Billie and Paige ... are _witches_!"

"What?" gasped Lauren, eyes wide, mouth open in shock.

"Yes, witches do indeed exist, my dear. And not only that, but Paige is also half-whitelighter, and if given the chance, she would have taught you all about being a whitelighter."

"OK, well, listen, if-if you let me go," stuttered Lauren, now frozen in fear, "I p-promise that I won't go anywhere near either of them again, and that way, I won't ever become a whitelighter. You have my word."

"Aw, how sweet of you," smirked the darklighter, "However, I'm afraid your _word _isn't enough. You see, it is your destiny to become a whitelighter, and no matter what you do, you will eventually be drawn to that destiny."

"Oh no ..." gasped Lauren.

"Which sadly means that I have to make sure that doesn't happen," said the darklighter, as he grabbed Lauren by her arm and threw her to the ground. As she raised her head, she saw the darklighter arm his crossbow.

"Billie ... Paige ... help me," she said softly, as the darklighter raised his crossbow and aimed it at her. Lauren closed her eyes, praying for a miracle.

The arrow shot out of the crossbow, but as it did, it changed into a mass of orbs. However, these orbs were not black like the darklighter's, but light blue. At the same time, both the darklighter and Lauren heard an echoing voice shout "Arrow!"

The blue orbs shot towards Lauren, but then they suddenly changed direction, instead flying towards the darklighter, who stepped out of the way just as they passed them. The orbs hit the far wall, and changed back into the arrow.

Lauren opened her eyes, and sighed in relief. The darklighter growled angrily.

"Show yourself, whitelighter!"

Just then, Lauren could see another larger mass of blue orbs descend from the sky behind the darklighter, and could hear jingling. As the orbs reached the ground, they cleared to reveal a young woman with long brunette hair, pale skin, red lips and dressed in a red t-shirt and jeans.

The darklighter turned around just as the woman kicked him in the stomach, and he fell to the ground. The woman then ran over to Lauren, helping her to her feet.

"Paige ..." gasped Lauren.

"Don't worry, Lauren, I'm going to get you out of here," said Paige Matthews, in a soothing voice.

"It's true, you _are_ half-whitelighter," said Lauren.

"Yeah, well, I figured that if I told you that at the start, you would be scared off, or you'd think I'm crazy," said Paige, with a small giggle.

Just then, the darklighter groaned as he tried to pick himself up.

"Oh no, oh no, what are we going to do?" gasped Lauren.

"OK, listen to me, Lauren," said Paige, "I want you to run out into the street, and go to the cafe at the corner, where Billie is waiting for you."

"Wait, what about you?"

"I'll hold off Ugly here," said Paige, "Now, go! Run!"

Lauren nodded, and sprinted past the darklighter towards the light. The darklighter then got to his feet and quickly aimed his crossbow at her. However, Paige quickly orbed a three-legged wooden chair from a nearby dustbin at him, and the sheer force knocked him to the ground as the chair shattered. By the time the darklighter rose again, Lauren was gone.

"You stupid witch!" he growled as he turned to Paige.

"Aw, so sorry if I've disturbed your plans to kill future whitelighters!" said Paige sarcastically.

"Well, don't be," said the darklighter, arming his crossbow, "You see, if I can't have her, I may as well have _you_!"

He shot an arrow directly at Paige, but she held out her hand and yelled "Arrow!" The arrow became another mass of blue orbs, which changed direction and shot towards the darklighter, who orbed away in his black orbs as the arrow joined its friend on the back wall.

Paige began to scan the alley, searching for any sign of the darklighter, as she knew it was not in their nature to give up so easily.

Suddenly, the darklighter orbed back in, a few feet behind her. As Paige had not turned around, he assumed she had not heard him. He quietly aimed his crossbow and aimed it at her back, and was just about to shoot when...

"Crossbow!"

Paige waved her arm without turning around, and the crossbow orbed out of the darklighter's hands, sliding across the ground past Paige. The darklighter dived for it, but with a wave of her arm and a call of darklighter, she sent him flying into the wall in a shimmer of blue orbs.

"Again, so sorry for interrupting," smiled Paige, as the darklighter fell in a heap at the bottom of the wall.

"Oh, this isn't over," groaned the darklighter, "Not by a long shot."

Paige wore a confused look, as another mass of black orbs appeared behind her. A blonde darklighter then appeared, nodding at his partner.

"Now!" roared the first darklighter, as the second armed his crossbow. Paige only orbed out just in time, as the arrow shot through the trail of blue orbs and hit the wall above the first darklighter.

"Drakor, you idiot!" roared the first darklighter, as he rose to his feet and pulled the arrow from the wall.  
"Hey, don't blame me," said Drakor, "The witch is too quick, and if you hadn't yelled …"

"Are you blaming me for this?!?"

"N-no, Arrow, of course not," stuttered Drakor, clearly scared.

"C'mon, let's just find the witch," said Arrow, "She can't have gone far!"

And so, the two darklighters walked down the dark alley, searching for Paige.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lauren was running as fast as she could, bumping into several people as she made her way through the streets. A cool breeze stung her tear-soaked face, but still she ran towards the café on the corner.

At last, she reached the café, and immediately spotted a woman younger than Paige. She had blonde hair and was wearing a flowery t-shirt, jeans and trainers. Lauren made her way to the table and collapsed in the chair opposite the girl.

"Lauren!" gasped the girl, taken by surprise, "Where have you been? Are you all right?"

And then she noticed the marks the tears had left on Lauren's face. Her black jumper was also torn to reveal a graze, and she was shaking slightly.

"Lauren, what happened? What's the matter?"

"It's P-Paige," stammered Lauren.

"Paige?" said the girl, leaning across the table, "What about her?"

"She … she's fighting the darklighter," sobbed Lauren.

The girl grabbed Lauren's hand, and took it in both of hers.

"OK, listen to me, we're going to get out of here. I'm going to take you somewhere safe …"

"But, what about Paige?" asked Lauren.

"Don't worry, Paige is … well, I'm sure that …"

"Oh, I already know that you're both …" said Lauren, before lowering her voice to a whisper, " … witches, and that Paige is a whitelighter."

"Oh. Well then, Paige can hold him off, don't worry," said the girl, with a smile.

Suddenly, the two girls heard a loud scream.

"Oh my gosh! HELP!"

Lauren and the girl rose to their feet, and walked back into the main street. An older blonde woman was screaming at the top of her voice as she ran down the street.

"Call the police!"

"Billie, what's going on?" Lauren asked the girl.

"I don't know …" replied Billie.

"Men! Men with crossbows! In the back alley! HELP!"

However, no-one listened to her. They probably all thought she was talking rubbish. After all, who ever heard of men with crossbows in this day and age? However, Billie and Lauren knew different.

"Wait, men? I thought you said there was only one darklighter," said Billie.

"There was when I left," said Lauren.

They both looked at each other, and then Billie began to run down the street towards the alley. Lauren hesitated, and then, probably not wanting to be alone, ran after her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Drakor and Arrow were still searching for Paige.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," said Arrow, keeping his crossbow armed and ready.

"Maybe she's gone," suggested Drakor.

"What, and leave us two darklighters here in broad daylight? Trust me, old friend, she's here!"

"Hey, at least we got to scare that old lady," laughed Drakor, "As soon as she saw us, she just screamed and ran!"

"Well, as fun as that was, we have bigger problems to worry about," said Arrow, "Now focus!"

Drakor nodded, and the two continued to search the alley. Suddenly, Drakor noticed a glow of blue light behind a dustbin.

"Hey, Arrow, over here!" he yelled, and they both proceeded towards the dustbin. As they reached it, Arrow quickly jumped and shot an arrow at where the light came from. However, it was not Paige he shot, but ...

"A rubbish bag!" he roared, as the contents of the bag began to spill onto the ground.

"Uh, I hope you're going to clean that up," called a voice. Drakor and Arrow turned to see Paige standing at the opposite end of the alley.

"That's IT!" roared Arrow, shooting another arrow directly at Paige. Paige called for the arrow, and sent it flying back. The two darklighters jumped out of the way as the arrow zoomed past them. Almost instantly, Drakor armed his crossbow and shot at Paige, who orbed out of the way.

She re-appeared behind Drakor as he rose to his feet, and kicked him back to the ground. Arrow then quickly aimed and shot at Paige, but she sent the arrow flying back at him. He rolled out of the way, rose to his feet, threw his crossbow to the ground and ran towards Paige. The two then began to fight each other, kicking and blocking each other.

Meanwhile, Drakor groaned as he picked himself up again. He first saw Paige and Arrow fighting, and then he saw Arrow's crossbow on the ground. Having an idea, he quickly made his way to the crossbow and grabbed it. Arming both his own crossbow and Arrow's, he aimed at the others, waiting to get a clear aim at Paige.

Moments later, after blocking a punch, Paige managed to deliver a kick to Arrow's stomach, who keeled over. Drakor seized his chance and shot an arrow at Paige, who easily deflected it, but not before Drakor shot a second arrow from his second crossbow. He was too quick for Paige, who gasped in shock as the arrow hit her in the stomach.

Paige looked down at her stomach, mouth open in shock, before she collapsed to the ground in pain. Drakor ran to Arrow and helped him to his feet.

"Nicely done," grinned Arrow, as he looked at Paige, who was gasping for breath.

"Yeah," Drakor said, with a sigh, "Too bad it's not the whitelighter we were supposed to get."

"Oh, who cares about her? Come on, this is not just any whitelighter, this is also one of the Charmed Ones," smirked Arrow, "Just imagine, we will be respected and feared by all others as the ones who put an end to the Charmed Ones once and for all!"

"Uh, I don't think so," yelled another voice. Drakor and Arrow turned just in time to see Billie Jenkins take the two arrows from the far wall and magically throw them towards them. The darklighters ducked and felt the arrows skim over their heads.

"Step away from her, or I will vanquish your sorry butts," yelled Billie.

"Oh, yeah, right, what are you going to do? Throw your purse at us?" laughed Drakor.

"Oh dear, was that a sexist comment?" said Billie, "Not very smart, considering you and all the other magical bad guys have been getting your butts kicked by a total of five women over the last eight years, including yours truly."

Drakor leered at Billie, but before he could arm his crossbow, Arrow grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy?" he roared, "That's Billie Jenkins! Remember, Billie and Christie, the Ultimate Power?"  
Drakor's eyes suddenly grew wide, and Billie smirked in reply.

"B-but, surely, with only one of them …"

"We can't take our chances," said Arrow, "C'mon, we're leaving!"

And with that, both Drakor and Arrow orbed away, the arrows in the walls also vanishing in puffs of black smoke. Billie then ran towards Paige, kneeling by her side.

"Paige, just hang on," said Billie softly, "It's going to be OK."

Just then, Lauren slowly came into the alley.

"Are they gone?" she asked, scanning the alley

"For now, but we have bigger problems," said Billie, and Lauren gasped as she saw Paige. She ran towards Paige, kneeling beside Billie.

"Oh no, oh no, this is all my fault …"

"No, Lauren, this is _not_ your fault," said Billie, placing her hand on Lauren's shoulder, "Darklighters do this for sport."

"The evil …" said Lauren, now feeling anger.

"Yeah, but right now, we need to focus on saving Paige," said Billie, biting her lip.

"Well, what should we do? Call an ambulance?"

"No, I know what to do," said Billie, "OK, put your left hand on my shoulder and place your right hand on Paige's leg."

"What?" said Lauren, confused, "Why …?"

"Please, Lauren, we don't have time! Come on!"

Lauren did as she was told. Billie then put her right hand on Paige's arm, and used her left hand to reach in her hand bag. Eventually, she produced a vial which contained a grey liquid.

"What's that?" asked Lauren.

"Something that will help Paige," replied Billie.

All this time, Paige was still gasping for breath, but now her breaths were getting quieter.

"Please …" Paige gasped, using all her remaining strength to speak, "… hurry …"

"OK," said Billie, grasping Paige's arm tight, "Here we go."

She threw the vial to the ground, and as it smashed, thick grey smoke rose form the shards, consuming Billie, Lauren and a now very weak Paige. Moments later, the smoke cleared and the three of them were gone.


	2. Prudence Halliwell

_**Prudence Halliwell**_

When the smoke cleared, Lauren was shocked to see that they were no longer in the dark alley.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Magic School," replied Billie.

The three of them were in a grand circular hall, the ceiling, floor and walls of which were made of marble, as were the four large pillars supporting the ceiling. There were odd tables and throne-like chairs scattered all around and bookcases sunk into the walls.

Billie and Lauren lifted Paige and carefully carried her to a sofa. They gently laid her down and knelt down beside her. Paige groaned softly.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Lauren.

"Hold on," said Billie, as she rose to her feet. She looked up to the ceiling.

"Uh, hello!" she yelled, "Is there anyone there? We need some healing down here!"

For a few moments, there was silence. Suddenly, another mass of blue orbs appeared, and when they cleared, a blonde older woman dressed in long white and gold robes appeared before Billie.

"Billie," said the woman.

"Who are you?" asked Lauren.

"My name is Sandra, and I am an Elder."

"OK, introductions later," said Billie, "Sandra, Paige needs healing."

"I know, we must hurry," said Sandra.

"What do you mean 'we'?"

At that very moment, Elders began orbing in. Eventually, there were eight Elders in all, including Sandra.

"Why are there eight of you?" asked Billie, worried, "Surely, she only needs one of you guys."

"Time is of the essence, Billie," said a black-haired male Elder, "Let us hurry."

The Elders walked past Billie towards Paige. Lauren moved out of the way as the Elders surrounded Paige. As one of them removed the arrow from Paige's stomach, they all stretched out their arms and held their hands over her. Warm yellow light began to shine from their hands, healing Paige.

"Is she going to be OK?" Lauren said softly.

Billie watched the Elders healing Paige for a moment before she replied.

"I'm not sure ..." she said. She then had a thought.

"Listen, Lauren, could you stay here for a minute?"

"Why? Where are you going?" asked Lauren.

"I'm going to get Paige's sisters."

Billie then ran through the large open doorway and down the marble corridor. Lauren watched her leave, and then turned to watch the Elders healing Paige.

"Please ..." she whispered, "Please don't die ..."

* * *

Meanwhile, the doors of the Halliwell Manor opened and in walked a woman with shoulder-length brunette hair. She was wearing a green vest-top, jeans and green high-heeled shoes. Her name was Phoebe Halliwell.

"Hello?" she called, "Anyone home?"

Phoebe walked through the Manor hall, past the sitting room and to the staircase that lead to the upper floors. Another woman then walked through from the dining room in front of Phoebe. This woman had longer brunette hair, and she was wearing a blue t-shirt, jeans and black boots.

"Hey," the woman said to Phoebe.

"Hey, Piper," smiled Phoebe, "Ready for lunch?"

"Sure," replied Piper Halliwell, "Let's get going."

"OK. Paige! Are you coming?"

"Uh, Phoebe," said Piper, "Paige isn't here. I thought she was with you."

"No," said Phoebe, and then she remembered something.

"Oh, wait, Paige called me and said that her new charge needed help. I expect she'll still be with her."

"OK, then we'll head to the restaurant and meet her there," said Piper, grabbing her handbag from a table in the middle of the hall, "C'mon, let's go."

They headed to the door, but then they stopped again as they heard a thud. They turned round to see an arched door on the first landing of the staircase.

"Hey, isn't that the door to Magic School?" said Phoebe, as she and Piper walked towards it.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the door opened and Billie appeared in the doorway, and Piper and Phoebe could see that she was slightly shaking.

"Billie?" asked Phoebe, "What's wrong?"

"It's Paige," said Billie, "She's been ... hit by a darklighter arrow."

Piper and Phoebe's eyes grew wide.

"What?" Phoebe gasped.

"Take us to her now!" said Piper.

Billie nodded, turned and began to run down the marble corridor. Piper and Phoebe sprinted up the stairs and followed her through the corridor and eventually through the huge doorway into the Grand Hall.

"No ..."

Phoebe clasped her hands to her mouth as they saw the Elders crowded around Paige. Lauren turned to them.

"What's happening?" Billie asked her.

"I don't know," sobbed Lauren, "They've just been standing around her all this time. None of them have said a word to me or each other."

"Oh, this is Lauren, by the way, Paige's charge," Billie told the others, "And Lauren; this is Piper and Phoebe, Paige's sisters."

They all nodded at each other, unable to speak. The four of them then stood in silence, watching the Elders healing Paige. Just then, they could see one of the older Elders nodding his head, and then they all retracted their arms, the light disappearing.

"Wait, why are they stopping?" asked Lauren.

"That's a damn good question," said Billie angrily, as she marched over to the Elders, the others following.

"Hey!" she yelled, "She's still in pain! Why are you not healing her?!?"

Sandra turned to Billie.

"Healing isn't working," she said calmly.

"What is that supposed to mean?!?" yelled Billie, tears forming in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Phoebe walked to the sofa and knelt down beside it.

"Paige ...?" she whispered.

Paige breathed softly as she turned her head to look at her sister.

"Phoebe ... Piper ..."

As she heard her name, Piper joined Phoebe at the sofa.

"I'm here, sweetie," said Piper, "Just hang on, OK?"

"I ... I don't think I can ..." gasped Paige.

"No, don't think that," said Phoebe, placing her palm on Paige's face, smiling weakly, "You'll be fine."

"Yeah," said Piper, "After all, you've beaten darklighters before."

"Piper ..." gasped Paige, "Phoebe ... Billie ..."

Billie and Lauren approached the sofa. Paige gasped sharply as a single tear ran down her face.

"I ... I ... I love you ..."

She then drew in a short breath, before her eyes closed and her arm slipped over the edge of the sofa, hanging lifelessly.

"Paige...?" gasped Phoebe, as she put two fingers to Paige's neck, trying to feel a pulse. Moments later, she took her fingers away and just sat there, silent.

"Phoebe ...?" said Piper. Phoebe turned to Piper, tears running down her face.

"No ..."

"Our sister ..."

"Please, Phoebe, no ..."

"... is dead ..."

Phoebe then collapsed onto Piper's shoulder, crying uncontrollably. Piper hugged her, sobbing. Billie collapsed onto the marble floor, and buried her head in her arms. Lauren just stood still, like a statue, eyes watery, staring at Paige's body.

"I am so sorry," said Sandra, as the Elders bowed their heads.

Phoebe, Piper and Billie continued to cry, while Lauren began shaking her head repeatedly, as she muttered softly to herself.

"No ... it can't be ..."

However, she was not the only one.

* * *

  
Paige Matthews looked at Lauren standing still, at Billie lying on the ground, at the Elders whose heads were still bowed, at Piper and Phoebe comforting at each other and finally at her own lifeless body.

"No ... I can't be dead ..."

Paige was now in limbo, the realm between life and death. She had been here before, but she had always been able to come back to life somehow, usually with help from her sisters.

However, as she stood there watching everyone, she felt that this time would be different, that there would be no way back, that she really was gone.

And now she knew what would happen. The Angel of Death would appear before her, take her hand and lead her towards the light, and then there truly _would_ be no way back.

She began to gasp and sob as she stood there, waiting for the Angel of Death, but he did not appear. Instead, a voice called out her name.

"Paige ..."

Paige turned to look down the marble corridor, but no-one was there.

"Paige ..."

Paige looked all around the room, but still no-one was there, except for the others, and they could not be whom the voice belonged to, as they could not see or hear her. Also, Paige had never heard the mysterious voice before.

"Who are you?" she called.

"Paige ... do not be afraid ..."

"Who are you?" Paige asked again.

"Come to the manor," said the voice, "and I will explain everything."

"Are you Death?" asked Paige.

"No. Come to the Manor, and I will explain."

"But how can I trust you?" asked Paige.

"Trust your heart," replied the voice, "Orb to the Manor."

"Wait, my powers don't work in limbo."

"Trust me, they will," said the voice, "Now, quickly, orb to the Manor."

Paige did not understand what was going on. She did not recognise the voice, and so her mind was telling her not to trust it. However, something deep down in her heart was telling her that whoever or whatever was calling to her was to be trusted.

After a few moments, she decided to trust her heart, and after one final look at her family, she closed her eyes and orbed away. Just then, Phoebe turned to look at the exact spot where Paige was standing.

"What is it?" sobbed Piper.

"I ... I thought I ..." Phoebe said softly, "It was ... oh, never mind ..."

And as she and Piper separated, Phoebe lay her head on Paige's chest and began to cry again. Piper placed her hand on Phoebe's shoulder, looking at Paige's body, her vision distorted by the tears building in them.

* * *

Paige appeared in the Manor with a jingle of blue orbs, surprised that her powers did actually work in limbo. This only strengthened her belief in the mysterious voice.

"I'm here," she called.

"Thank you," said the voice, "Now come to the conservatory."

Paige obeyed, walking through the hall to the conservatory, where sunlight shone though the many windows.

"Hello?" she yelled, looking around. However, no-one appeared and the voice did not reply.

Paige sighed and sat down on one of the wicker chairs. She was now a bit worried. Here she was, stuck in limbo, following a voice that seemed to belong to no-one and facing the possibility that she was never going to see her family again.

Then she heard footsteps coming from the dining-room towards the conservatory. Paige sat upright, bracing herself for who she was about to see.

She walked through into the conservatory, and immediately set eyes upon Paige. She smiled warmly.

"Hello Paige. It's so good to finally meet you."

Paige rose to her feet, staring in shock at the woman before her. She had long dark-brunette hair, and she was wearing a suede leather-jacket, red t-shirt, blue jeans and black boots.

Paige had never met this woman before, but she immediately knew who she was. She had seen the photographs, heard the stories from Phoebe and Piper. She already knew all about her, and she had always wanted to meet her, but she never believed in a million years that it would happen. And yet here she was, standing before her.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" asked the woman, with a small giggle.

Paige stood still for a few moments, then, before she thought about what she was doing, she ran towards the woman and hugged her. The woman was taken aback, but then she returned the hug.

"Oh, Paige ..." said the woman softly.

"I can't believe it's really you," Paige said, "It's _really _you!"

"Yes," smiled the woman.

Paige stepped back, looking into the woman's emerald eyes.

"It's great to finally meet you ... Prue."

* * *

_ I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and alerted this story so far. It's already more popular than Charmed Hearts, which by the way I will try to update soon._


	3. The Essence of Sisterhood

_**The Essence of Sisterhood**_

Paige could not believe it. After all these years, Prue Halliwell, her eldest sister, was here, standing before her. She was so happy to finally meet her, but at the same time, Paige was confused and a bit worried about her current situation.

"Paige, what's wrong?" asked Prue, who could obviously see something was worrying her.

"Well …" said Paige, smiling weakly, "It's not that I'm not happy to see you, because I am, I really am. It's just … I don't understand what's going on. Why am I stuck in limbo, and why are you here?"

Prue sighed.

"OK, well, you are in limbo because of me," she said, "I felt your pain when you were hit by the darklighter arrow, and I felt your life slipping away. I knew it was not your destiny to die yet, so … I saved you."

"How?" asked Paige.

"Well, as soon as you entered limbo, I did too, and, because I'm already dead, this upset the natural balance, . Not completely, but enough to shield you from moving on."

"Really?" gasped Paige, surprised, "But what about the Angel of Death? I imagine he won't be too pleased."

"Well, not really," said Prue, "You see, the only soul affected by this upset is you. Don't worry, this actually happens quite often. It's what you would call a 'near death experience'."

"Oh …" said Paige, as she went to sit back down on the wicker chair. Prue grabbed another and sat in front of her.

"I know this is a lot to take in, Paige," she said, taking Paige's hand in hers, "but don't worry. As long as I am with you, you're safe."

Paige looked up at Prue, and smiled.

"You're just like Piper and Phoebe said you were."

"What did they say?" asked Prue.

"That you were an amazing sister."

Prue smiled warmly, and Paige thought she could see a small tear fall from her eye.

"There's something I still don't understand though," said Paige, as Prue wiped her face, "You've been dead for about five years now, and Piper, Phoebe and I have come close to dying several times over those years. Why is it only _now _that I've met you?"

"Well, it's not as if I _chose_ not to see you," said Prue, "Because, believe me, if I had any choice in the matter, I would have come back the very first time Piper tried to reach me - the first few days after my death."

"Well, then, why?"

"Because … I wasn't allowed to," explained Prue, "You see, it was my destiny to die when Shax attacked all those years ago, so that Piper and Phoebe could meet you. You three were destined to do so many great things, and if I had appeared before you at any time during the last five years, you would have been distracted from your destiny. All those innocents you saved might have died, and all those evils you faced might have destroyed you."

"I understand," said Paige, "It's just … the others took your death so hard, especially Piper."

"Yeah, I know. It wasn't fair to her, having to take on the responsibility of oldest sister, and it was hard on everyone to accept a new sister after having just lost an old one."

"I remember when Piper turned into a Fury, not long after you had died," said Paige, "Leo orbed us to the mausoleum, to your resting place. We realised that Piper … was angry at you, because she felt you abandoned her, and she just broke down in tears."

"I know," sighed Prue, "It was so heartbreaking to watch."

"What do you mean?" asked Paige.

"I was beside her as she cried," explained Prue.

"But I thought you said …"

"I said that I could not appear before you," said Prue, "I didn't say that I wasn't there. Actually, the truth is that I have always been there, watching over all of you."

Paige was so touched by this, that she could not speak for several moments. Prue put her hand on her face.

"I have watched you all grow. I've seen Piper become a great mum and protector. I've seen Phoebe embrace her powers and share her natural gifts with others. And I've also seen you help both magical and non-magical beings and even master the ways of magic."

"Yeah, but I could never be as good as you were," said Paige, "I mean, you were the most powerful, the strongest and a great leader. You were a Superwitch."

Prue giggled.

"OK, look, I may have had my strengths, but you have yours too. I mean, I wasn't a whitelighter, so I couldn't orb. Also, you managed to conjure a dove once, and I never managed to do that. You had this completely different world that I never experienced."

Prue placed both her hands on Paige's face, and looked into her eyes.

"You are an amazing witch, and I am proud to call you my sister."

Paige's eyes began to fill up, and she laughed as the tears rolled down her face. Prue wiped them away.

"I have been there with you every step of the way, through the ups and the downs, the laughs and especially the tears."

"Yeah, a few of them have definitely been shed throughout the years," sighed Paige.

"Yeah, and I would have given anything to have been able to hold you when that happened," said Prue, frowning.

"So would have Piper and Phoebe."

Prue and Paige were silent for quite some time after that. Eventually, Paige spoke.

"So, you have really been with us all that time?"

"Yes," said Prue, and then she had a thought.

"I could show you."

Paige looked at Prue, confused.

"How?" she asked.

"Well, you and I both have memories of the last five years. By using my astral projection powers, we could actually go back in time to some of the times when I was beside you."

Paige rose to her feet.

"Really?"

"Absolutely, but only if you want to, of course," said Prue, also getting to her feet.

Paige bit her lip.

"But what about the others? They're still in Magic School, and they still think I'm dead."

"Don't worry," smiled Prue, "If I know the Elders, they'll figure out that you're not really dead very soon."

Paige stopped to think. She felt bad about the fact that she appeared to be dead to her family. Then again, Prue believed that the Elders would be able to figure it out. Also, this may be the only chance she would ever get to spend time with the sister she hardly knew.

"Um … well … oh, OK, let's do it," said Paige, grabbing Prue's hand.

"Great," said Prue, "Now hold on."

Prue closed her eyes, deep in thought. Paige closed her eyes too, and a few moments later, in a flash of pink and white, Prue and Paige had vanished.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Magic School, the girls were sitting in silence beside Paige's body, too emotionally exhausted to speak or even move. All the Elders had orbed away, except for Sandra and an older male Elder, who were talking to each other.

Just then, a man with brown hair who was wearing a blue shirt, jeans and brown shoes walked through the entrance to the Grand Hall. Piper was the first to notice him.

"Leo…" she said softly, rising to her feet, swaying a bit as she did.

"Piper, I saw the door to Magic School," said Leo Wyatt, "What's going on?"

He then spotted Paige's body on the couch, and his face turned white, as Piper walked towards him.

"Oh no … what happened?"

"A couple of darklighters ambushed her …" whispered Piper, before she fell onto Leo's chest. Leo hugged his wife.

"I can't believe this is happening all over again," said Piper, "First Prue, now Paige …"

"I am so sorry, Piper," said Leo softly. As he looked on sadly at the girls surrounding Paige's body, he saw, in his peripheral vision, the two Elders in conversation.

"What are they doing here?" he asked.

"There was a group of them, trying to heal Paige," said Piper, looking in the opposite direction, head still against Leo's chest, "Then most of them left, but I don't know why those two are still here."

Leo looked at the Elders. There was something about the way they were looking at each other that attracted his attention.

"Where are the boys?" asked Piper.

"Hmm?" said Leo, distracted, "Oh, I dropped them off at the nursery."

Piper looked up at Leo, and then turned to see what he was looking at.

"Leo, what is it?"

"I'm not sure yet," replied Leo, "Would you mind if I talked to them for a moment?"

"Uh, sure, OK," said Piper, confused as she watched Leo walk towards the Elders, who were still in deep discussion.

"Excuse me?" said Leo, as he reached them.

"Leo," said the male Elder, "How are the girls?"

"As well as can be expected," sighed Leo, glancing back at them.

"And how are you?" asked Sandra.

"A little confused, actually."

"Yes, well, it's times like this when you see just how fragile life can be," sighed the male Elder.

"Yeah, Paige was an amazing person," said Leo, "But that's not all I'm confused about."

"Well, what else is there?" asked Sandra.

"You know what. Look, my time as an Elder may have been short, and I may not be a whitelighter any more, but I still know what that look in your eyes means."

"What are you talking about?" asked the male Elder, loud enough for Piper to hear. She began to walk over towards them.

"There's something else going on here, isn't there?" asked Leo, "If it's something to do with Paige, we have a right to know."

"Leo, what's going on?" asked Piper, as she reached them.

"Ask them," said Leo, motioning to the Elders. At the same time, Phoebe noticed what was happening.

"Billie," she said, tapping Billie on the arm, rising to her feet and walking towards the others. Billie looked over.

"Lauren," said Billie, tapping Lauren on the arm and following Phoebe. Lauren followed after them.

"Guys, what's going on?" asked Phoebe.

"The Elders seem to know something about Paige," said Piper.

"What do they know?" asked Billie.

"It's nothing really," said the male Elder.

"Now you know that's not true," said Sandra, "You felt it, I felt it, the others felt it. There's no denying it."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that Paige can be saved," replied the male Elder.

"But even if there is the smallest of chances …"

"OK, wait a minute," said Piper, "Did you say that Paige … can be _saved_? How is that possible?"

Sandra and the male Elder looked at each other. Sandra sighed as she turned back to the others.

"We didn't want to tell you, because we weren't sure if we could do anything about it," she said.

"We still have a right to know," said Phoebe, "Please."

"OK," sighed Sandra, "Well, sometimes, even if a person appears to be dead, an … essence can be felt from within them."

"An essence?" asked Lauren.

"Yes, almost like an inner battle for life. It's very common in those who appear to be suffering from near-death experiences."

"So, you're saying that Paige is having a near-death experience?" asked Phoebe.

"But, even if she was, surely you still should have been able to heal her?" said Leo.

"Usually, yes," said the male Elder, "Which is why we believe that this is no ordinary near-death experience. We believe that …"

The Elder paused for a moment, before he spoke again.

" … that _something_ is protecting Paige, shielding her from moving on into the next life or coming back to this one."

The others were shocked by this statement. They had never heard of anything like this before.

"What is this '_something_'?" asked Piper.

"We don't know," replied Sandra, "All we do know is that right now, Paige is probably trapped in limbo, but this entity is keeping her safe."

"Well … then this is good news, right? I mean, this means that Paige is safe, and she isn't dead!"

"Well, she isn't exactly alive either, Piper," said Phoebe.

"No, but this means that we could save Paige, right?" Piper asked the Elders.

"Perhaps, but first we would have to determine what it is that is protecting Paige," said Sandra.

"Then and only then can we possibly figure out a way to save her," said the male Elder, "We will report to the others, and let you know if we find out anything."

"Thank you," said Phoebe, as the two Elders orbed away.

"Wow …" said Billie.

"I know," said Phoebe.

"So, Paige will be alright?" asked Lauren.

"Hopefully," said Piper, with a small smile, "But first, we have to figure out; what could possibly be powerful enough to keep Paige in limbo?"

* * *

There was a sudden flash of pink and white, and then Prue and Paige had appeared in the attic of the Halliwell Manor. Paige looked out of one of the windows, and saw that it was dark outside.

"Oh my gosh, it worked," she gasped.

"Yes," said Prue, "Now look over there."

She pointed to a table in the centre of the attic. Paige looked and saw Piper sitting there. The legendary Book of Shadows, the Charmed Ones' spell book, was on the table, as well as a small cauldron, a candle and several different types of magical ingredients.

Paige then noticed that Piper was crying, as she flicked through the pages of the Book. Eventually, she stopped on a page and began to read the spell out loud.

"_Powers of the witches rise  
__Course unseen across the skies  
__Come to us who call you near  
__Come to us and settle here."_

She picked up some of the ingredients and placed them into the cauldron. She then picked up an atheme, and pricked her finger with it.

_"Blood to blood, I summon thee  
__Blood to blood, return to me."_

As she finished the spell, she put her hand over the cauldron and dropped a few drops of her blood into it. She then waited, and watched the candle, which flickered and swayed.

Nothing happened. Piper began to cry again, putting her hands over her face. Prue and Paige watched sadly on.

"Piper?"

Piper immediately lowered her hands.

"Prue?"

Prue and Paige turned to the open doorway. However, Prue did not enter the attic; Phoebe did, dressed in pyjamas and a zipper. Piper sighed sadly.

"Sweetie, it's four o' clock in the morning," said Phoebe, as she reached the table, "What are you doing?"

She looked at the table, and then at Piper's hand.

"You're bleeding," she said, grabbing a cloth from the table and dabbing Piper's finger.

"I don't understand why magic can't fix this," sobbed Piper, "Why it can't bring Prue back? It's not like we haven't cheated death before. I don't understand why this time is any different."

"Because Leo can't heal the dead, Piper, you know that," said Phoebe, clearing up the table.

"There's other magic, magic that we've used before: scrying, calling a lost witch, reversing time!"

Piper slammed the Book shut and rose to her feet, as Phoebe stopped clearing the table.

"It's like the Book just deserted us, and deserted Prue, and I _don't_ understand why!"

"We lost our sister," Phoebe said sadly, "How can we ever understand that?"

The two sisters sobbed.

"We have tried every magical way to bring her back …," continued Phoebe, "but we can't. She's gone."

She then hugged Piper.

"I'm just … I'm so thankful I didn't lose you too."

Piper sobbed into Phoebe's shoulder. Phoebe kissed Piper's head as they separated.

"We have to get some rest," said Phoebe, "Prue will never forgive us if we look bad at her funeral."

Piper gave a smile and a sob. Phoebe stroked Piper's hair and then left the attic, Piper following. Prue and Paige then approached the table.

"Oh my gosh," sighed Paige.

"I know," said Prue, "I was in tears the first time."

Just then, the triquerta on the front cover of the Book began to glow. As Prue and Paige watched, the Book began to open all by itself and the pages turned until eventually it stopped on a page titled "_To Call A Lost Witch_".

"Hey, I remember that spell," said Paige.

"Yeah, you used it quite a lot," said Prue.

Paige looked at the page, and then to her sister.

"So, where, or when, are we?" she asked.

"We are five years in the past, in the early hours of the day of my funeral," said Prue.

Paige sighed deeply.

"And also," continued Prue, "the day when all of your lives changed … forever."


	4. Reunion and Reconstitution

_**Reunion and Reconstitution**_

With another flash, Prue and Paige were now in a bustling office. There were several cubicles all over the place, and each one contained someone using a telephone or typing on a computer. The sounds of ringing telephones, conversations and the humming of computer equipment filled the entire office.

"Wait a minute ..." said Paige softly, looking around the place.

"That's right," smiled Prue, "We're in the South Bay Social Office, where you used to work."

Prue walked forwards through the maze of cubicles, Paige following. Soon, Prue had stopped in front of one of the cubicles, and as Paige turned to it, she gasped in surprise at what she saw.

"Printing!"

A younger Paige was sitting at her computer, doing some research for her boss. As she peered at her monitor, she suddenly heard a whooshing sound. She looked up just in time to see one of her candles blow out all by itself. She was confused, as was the older Paige.

"I forgot about that," she said.

The younger Paige rose to her feet, and was just making her way to the printer when she heard a jingling behind her. In a sparkling gold light, the Obituaries section of a newspaper appeared and fell to the ground. Paige turned around and picked up the newspaper, and as she looked at it, her eyes immediately caught sight of an obituary titled "**Prudence Halliwell, Beloved Sister**".

"Paige, did you find that study yet?" called a voice.

Paige's boss came out of his office, and spotting Paige, walked towards her. She didn't seem to have heard him, as she was still looking at the obituary.

"Paige, did you hear me?" her boss asked, as he reached her.

Paige reached to the coat-stand and grabbed her coat, still staring at the newspaper.

"Yeah, it's in the printer," she said, "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"What do you mean, go? Go where?"

Paige ignored her boss, and began to walk out of the office, almost as if under a spell.

"Paige!" called her boss, "Paige!"

However, Paige was now gone. Her boss sighed impatiently, turned and marched towards the printer. Prue and Paige walked to where Paige and her boss were standing, and turned to face the exit.

"So, it was the _To Call a Lost Witch_ spell that made me go to your funeral?" asked Paige.

"Well, it was the spell that told you about the funeral," said Prue, "but it was not what drove you to go."

"Then what did?" asked Paige.

"Your heart."

Prue then took Paige's hand, and they disappeared with a flash.

* * *

Back in Magic School, Piper and Phoebe were sitting at one of the tables, studying different kinds of books to see if they could find any clues as to what the mystery entity was.

"Find anything?" Phoebe asked Piper, as she looked up from her book.

"No," said Piper, with a sigh, "and I don't think we're going to. You heard the Elder; this is a unique case."

"Of course it is," said Phoebe, closing her book, "All the unusual things always happen to us."

Just then, she turned to look at Paige lying on the couch. She was now covered in a blanket, to cover her wound.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Phoebe said softly, "We'll find some way to bring you back."

Phoebe then noticed Billie, who was sitting at the opposite end of the Hall, also studying, and then Lauren, who was staring into space, a closed book in front of her.

"The poor thing ..." Phoebe said, with a deep sigh.

"Who, Lauren?" asked Piper, following Phoebe's vision.

"Yeah, I mean, yesterday she thought she was a normal person. Now, in the space of a few hours, she finds out magic exists, has darklighters hunting her and witnesses Paige being attacked. It must be a lot to take in."

"Hmm ..." muttered Piper, looking at Lauren. She couldn't help but empathise with her.

"You know, maybe she should be somewhere else," suggested Phoebe, "I don't think being here with Paige is doing her any good."

"But where else is she going to go? Those darklighters may still be looking for her."

"Don't worry, I have an idea," said Phoebe, and then she called, "Billie! Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Billie looked up at Phoebe, grasped Lauren's arm with a smile at her, and then made her way over to the sisters.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Billie, Piper and I have been talking and we ..."

Piper cleared her throat.

"I mean, _I _think it would be best if you took Lauren back to the Manor," finished Phoebe.

"But what about the darklighters?" asked Billie.

"Well, if you were to set up a crystal cage around the house, then she would be protected."

"Although, maybe you should talk to Lauren first," said Piper, "Just to see what she thinks."

Phoebe looked as if she was about to say something, but Piper raised her eyebrows at her and she stayed silent.

"OK," said Billie, and she walked back to Lauren. Piper and Phoebe watched the two girls talking, and then Lauren nodding gently. Billie helped her to her feet, and they walked back to the sisters.

"Alright, we'll head back to the Manor."

"But please, let us know if there is any change," said Lauren.

"We will, we promise," smiled Piper.

Billie and Lauren then walked through the doorway and out of sight.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" asked Piper.

"Well, she'll have a crystal cage and Billie for protection ..." said Phoebe.

"I don't mean physically, I mean emotionally, you know, after what she's seen."

"Oh," said Phoebe, "Well, it'll probably take a while to sink in, but I think she'll be alright."

They then both turned to look at Paige.

"What about her?" asked Piper.

Phoebe sighed deeply.

"Honestly? I really don't know ..."

* * *

"I am so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

There was a long queue of people in the church, all waiting to offer their condolences to the four people standing in front of the altar. Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, Leo Wyatt and the sisters' father, Victor Bennett, tried to compose themselves as the people walked forward.

Just then, Prue and Paige flashed in at the back of the church, and began to make their way down to the front.

"My funeral, or just after it," said Prue, with a sigh.

Just then, Paige stopped, gasped and stared at the queue.

"Paige, what is it?" asked Prue, who was in front.

Paige pointed about halfway into the queue, and as Prue looked, she spotted the younger Paige. She also noticed that she seemed nervous.

"I wasn't sure if I should have been here," explained older Paige, "You know, because I never got to know you."

"You're family," said Prue, "You had every right to be here."

Paige turned to Prue and the sisters smiled at each other. As they turned back, they saw younger Paige reaching the end of the queue. She stopped and almost turned back, but then took a deep breath and walked towards Phoebe. Phoebe dried her eyes with a handkerchief as Paige reached her.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said.

"Thank you," said Phoebe softly.

Paige gave a small smile and made to leave.

"How did you know Prue?" asked Phoebe suddenly, "From work?"

"No, just ... just from around, you know," replied Paige.

"Have we met somewhere?"

"No," said Paige, "I don't, I don't think so. Anyway, my condolences."

"Thank you," said Phoebe, and she and Paige shook hands.

Suddenly, Phoebe gasped deeply, eyes shut. Moments later, she let go of Paige's hand and fell to the floor.

"Phoebe? Are you OK?"

As the others, including Phoebe's boyfriend, Cole Turner, ran to help her, Paige ran for the church doors.

"A premonition," said older Paige, "But what was it about?"

"Keep watching," said Prue.

"I saw him!" said Phoebe, "The demon that killed Prue!"

"Shax? What was he doing?" asked Leo.

"He was killing that girl," said Phoebe, looking for Paige. Cole then watched the last people walk out of the church.

"What girl?" asked Piper.

"The one I was just talking to. We've gotta go find her!"

Phoebe ran towards the church doors, but just then, a man flashed in before her. She ran behind a statue as the man shot a bolt of lightning from his hand directly at Cole, who dived out of the way as it hit the altar.

"Go! Go!" yelled Leo, taking Victor and Piper out of the way.

As Cole rose to his feet, he threw an energy ball straight at the demon, which sent him flying into the wall. He then vanished in a flash of fire, vanquished. Another demon then flashed in, but Phoebe sent him to the ground with a cartwheel kick. She then ran back behind the statue.

"Stop it ..." said Piper softly.

The demon rose to his feet, but another energy ball from Cole knocked him back into the wooden chairs behind him, and then he too was vanquished in a flash of fire.

"STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, DAMN IT!" yelled Piper, and everyone turned to look at her, including Prue and Paige.

"This is Prue's _funeral_, for goodness sake! Can't we at least bury her in peace? Is that TOO MUCH TO ASK?!?"

Piper knocked a vase off its pedestal, which smashed on the ground. Everyone was stunned to silence, and Prue sighed sadly as Piper marched straight out the church doors, leaving everyone else behind.

"She really _did_ take your death harder than anyone else," said Paige.

"I know," said Prue, with a sigh.

The two of them then watched the others slowly make their way out of the church.

"So," said Paige, when Cole closed the door behind him, "where to now?"

Prue took Paige's hand, and the white and pink light surrounded them. When it cleared they were in the Halliwell Manor, at the top of the staircase. Almost immediately, they heard voices, and made their way to the bottom. They turned to see Piper, Phoebe and Leo walking down the stairs.

"I can't sense where she is, because technically she's not a witch yet," said Leo.

"Alright, so all we have to go on is that church Mum mentioned, and the nun," said Phoebe.

"OK, let's just get one thing straight," said Piper, as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "I'm only doing this to save her, I am not remotely interested in reconstituting ..."

She stopped, and the three of them looked towards the open door. Prue and Paige looked too, and saw younger Paige standing in the hallway.

" ... the Charmed Ones," muttered Piper.

"I ... the door was open ..." stammered Paige nervously. Piper and Phoebe looked at each other.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here," said Paige, as she turned to walk out the door.

"No, no, no, no! No, no!" yelled Phoebe, running towards Paige, "We were just coming to look for you."

"You ... were?" asked Paige, as Phoebe ran past to close the door.

"Yep!" said Phoebe, smiling widely. She walked over to Paige and led her into the house.

"Come on in! Welcome! I'm Phoebe, and this is ..."

"Piper," said Paige, as they stopped. Piper's arms were folded.

"I know. I've been to your club," she said, "Pretty great."

"Thank you," said Piper, with a small smile, "And you are?"

Paige gave a small smile back.

"Paige. My name is Paige."

Prue turned to older Paige, and smiled as she saw how happy she was to relive this moment.

"Hmm, another P, imagine that!" said Phoebe.

All the sisters looked at one another, including Prue and Paige.

"It's very nice to meet you," said Piper, outstretching her hand. Paige did the same, and they shook hands.

All of a sudden, the girls and Leo looked up to see the chandelier above glow bright blue. A mystical blue spotlight then shone down on Piper, Phoebe and Paige.

"Charmed, again," said Prue softly, as Paige sighed, smiling.

The light then faded, and younger Paige quickly withdrew her hand.

"OK, what was that?" she asked.

"I think that means you're supposed to be here," said Leo.

Just then, the doors burst open and a small tornado flew into the house, sweeping the girls and Leo off their feet. Prue and Paige, however, were not affected.

The tornado then faded to reveal a demon with grey skin, dressed in ragged clothes and long grey hair. He seemed to be able to control the wind.

"Shax," said Prue and older Paige together.

Younger Paige looked up in horror. However, just as he looked ready to attack, Leo jumped on Shax's back.

"Come on, get upstairs!" he yelled, and the three of them quickly made their way up.

Shax then threw Leo off his back, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Shax leered at the staircase.

"Paige, quickly, orb us to the attic," said Prue, taking her hand.

The two of them then orbed away, re-appearing in the attic just in time to see the others run through the door. They made a beeline for the pedestal upon which the Book of Shadows lay.

"What are we doing?" yelled Paige, "What is that thing?"

"We'll explain later," said Phoebe.

Piper began frantically flipping through the pages of the book, until she eventually reached the right page.

"OK, just say this spell out loud with us, OK?" she told Paige.

"Spell? What are you guys, witches?" asked Paige.

"And so are you, we hope," said Phoebe.

"Well, we're about to find out!" said Piper.

Paige's mouth was open in shock, but soon, everyone was shocked as the attic door burst open as the tornado blew in and faded to reveal Shax. Piper, Phoebe and Paige instantly began to read the spell for the book:

_"Evil wind that blows  
That which forms below  
No longer may you dwell  
Death takes you with this spell."_

Shax began to groan as his body flashed brightly. All five sisters watched as he spun around on the spot, and eventually exploded in a flash of pink light. Younger Paige's mouth was once again open in shock.

"It's not enough," said Phoebe, "Shax was just the messenger. We have to get the Source."

"The Source of _what_?!?" exclaimed Paige.

Phoebe and Piper looked at each other.

"Of all evil," said Piper.

Paige looked at them with an expression of fear and disgust.

"What have you guys turned me into?" she said, before she ran towards the door.

"Paige!"

Piper began to run after her, but Phoebe stopped her.

"Wait," she said, as they watched Paige leave. They sighed deeply.

"I understand," said Prue, "I didn't exactly embrace the idea of being a witch when I first found out."

"It was just all so scary," said Paige.

"But in time, you learned to love magic, and your sisters," smiled Prue, taking Paige's hand.

"Yeah ..." said Paige, as she watched Piper and Phoebe leave the attic, Phoebe's arm around Piper.

Prue and Paige then vanished once again.

* * *

Phoebe was sitting in a chair beside Paige, looking down at her lifeless body.

"Don't worry ..." she whispered, "We'll find a way ..."

Just then, Piper and Leo walked into the Grand Hall.

"Any change?" asked Piper.

Phoebe turned around and shook her head.

"I've just been sitting here, talking to her," she said, turning back to Paige, "but I don't even know if she can hear me ..."

Piper walked over to Phoebe and placed her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. Phoebe put her hand on top of Piper's.

"How are Billie and Lauren?" asked Phoebe.

"Safe in the Manor," said Piper, "Billie and I set up the crystal cage."

"Good," said Phoebe softly, "And the boys?"

"Playing in the nursery," said Leo.

Phoebe nodded slowly.

"Hey, Phoebs, maybe you should go lie down," suggested Piper.

"No, it's OK," said Phoebe, with a sigh, "I want to stay here, just in case ..."

"It's OK, if there's any change, we'll let you know," said Leo softly.

Phoebe sighed deeply. Just then, in their usual blue orbs, Sandra and the older male Elder appeared beside them.

"Did you find out anything?" asked Piper.

"Not yet," said Sandra, "How are you?"

"Not great," said Piper.

"Have faith. Trust me, if this entity was harming Paige, we would sense it."

Just then, someone else orbed in behind Leo and Piper. As he appeared, it was obvious he was not an Elder. He was not wearing the white and golden robes, but instead a chequered shirt, jeans and boots. He had greying hair and bright blue eyes.

"Piper, Phoebe, Leo," he said.

Phoebe rose to her feet.

"Sam ... what are you doing here?"

"I am here," said Samuel Wilder, "to help save my daughter."


	5. Family Matters

_Thank you once again to everyone who has read, favourited, reviewed and alerted this story. Your support means a lot. :)_

Also, thank you to one of the reviewers, who pointed out that Prue could indeed conjure doves, and she actually created the spell to do so (see "The Essence of Sisterhood"). I apologise for this wee error.

* * *

_**Family Matters**_

Lauren sat on an armchair in the sitting room, legs crossed. A movie was on the television, but she was not really paying attention to it. She was staring blankly into space again, trying to take everything in. She still could not believe what had happened that day; darklighters hunting her, finding out magic existed and now Paige lying in Magic School, barely hanging on to life.

She jumped as Billie appeared, holding a cup of sugary tea.

"Here you go," said Billie, handing her the cup.

"Thanks," said Lauren, taking it. She took a sip of the hot tea, and then looked down at her feet as she held it in her hands.

Billie sighed sympathetically, and then took a seat in the armchair beside Lauren's.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm … not really sure," replied Lauren, "How's Paige?"

"Piper just called. No change."

Lauren sighed sadly and drank from her cup again.

"Listen, Lauren, I know that this is a lot to take in, and you probably don't know what to do with yourself right now …"

"Is Paige going to die?" asked Lauren, turning to Billie.

Billie was silent for a few moments.

"Please, tell me the truth," said Lauren, "Will Paige die?"

"I don't know," said Billie sadly, "but you can't lose hope. If you lose that, then what's left?"

Lauren turned away again, taking another sip of her tea.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Lauren turned quickly as Billie jumped to her feet.

"Is it them?" asked Lauren, shaking.

"No, darklighters aren't known for using doors," replied Billie, "It's OK, just stay here."

Billie walked towards the front doors. She placed her hand on one of the doorknobs, hesitated slightly and then opened the door.

A tall man with short brown hair and a stubbly chin stood at the threshold. He was wearing a blue shirt, black leather jacket, blue jeans and brown boots.

"Hey Billie," he said, smiling, "Is Paige here?"

"Henry …" said Billie softly, eyes wide.

Henry Mitchell looked at Billie.

"Billie, what's the matter?"

"Oh my gosh, you don't know …" gasped Billie.

"Don't know what?" asked Henry, now feeling a little scared, "Billie, what's going on? Where is my wife?"

Billie took Henry's hand, and led him into the Manor, closing the door behind her.

"Billie, what's going on?" asked Lauren, walking towards the two, "Who's he?"

"This is Henry, Paige's husband, and Henry: this is Lauren, Paige's charge and my friend."

Henry nodded to Lauren quickly before turning back to Billie.

"Billie, please, if something's happened to Paige, I have a right to know," he said.

Billie nodded slowly in agreement.

"OK, here's what happened …"

* * *

"So, there's been no change at all?" asked Sam, as he kneeled down beside her daughter's body.

"No," replied Phoebe softly.

"But she is safe," said Leo, "Apparently, some magical entity is keeping Paige from moving on, but also from coming back."

"So, she's basically stuck in limbo?" said Sam, placing his hand on Paige's cheek.

"Yeah," said Piper, "but don't worry, we will get her back."

"How did you find out about this?"

Sam looked up to see the male Elder scowling at him, arms folded. Sam rose to his feet, and walked towards the Elder.

"Well, all the Elders are talking about it," he said, standing before the Elder, "As soon as I found out, I orbed right here."

"Oh, how very … punctual of you," said the Elder, with a smirk.

"Luke, please, that was a long time ago …"

"It doesn't matter," said Luke the Elder, "You deliberately flouted your duties as a whitelighter."

"Luke," said Sandra, "it _was_ a year ago …"

"And so he deserves to be unpunished?" said Luke loudly.

"He was reprimanded at the time, but he has long since made up for it."

"Look, I am only here to help the others save my daughter," said Sam.

"And he has every right to be here," said Phoebe.

Sam turned around and smiled at Phoebe, who returned it. Luke sighed angrily, before he orbed away.

"Excuse me," said Sandra, "We'll let you know if we find anything."

She then orbed away too. Everyone looked at Sam.

"What was that all about?" asked Piper.

"Well, basically, a year ago, I … neglected my duties," said Sam.

"Yeah, we got that," said Phoebe, "but why did you?"

"Well, I …you see …"

Before Sam could explain, everyone heard footsteps behind him or her. They turned to see Henry Mitchell in the doorway.

"Henry …" said Phoebe.

"We never told him, did we?" said Piper, putting her hand on her chest.

Henry looked at the congregation of people, and then his attention turned to Paige.

"Oh …"

He walked slowly towards her, and then knelt down beside her in silence. He took her hand in his and massaged it.

"Henry, we're so sorry," said Phoebe, "We should have told you before, but …"

"No, it's O-Ok," whispered Henry, still looking at Paige, "Billie explained everything to me."

"So, you know all about the darklighters, and limbo?" asked Piper.

"Yeah … and s-some sort of entity?"

"Yeah, it's keeping her trapped in limbo, but stopping her from moving on," said Leo.

Henry then turned to the others, and they could see tears forming in his eyes.

"Will she be alright…?" he sobbed.

Phoebe knelt down beside him, and hugged him.

"Don't you worry, Henry. Somehow, we'll bring her back."

Henry sobbed softly into Phoebe's shoulder.

"She's right, son," said Sam, "Trust me, if anyone can bring Paige back, these girls can."

Henry parted from Phoebe and rose to his feet. He walked towards Sam and outstretched his hand.

"Henry Mitchell, Paige's husband," he said.

Sam took Henry's hand and shook it.

"Sam Wilder, Paige's father. I do wish we were meeting under more joyful circumstances."

"Me too," said Henry, before the two men hugged each other.

Piper, Phoebe and Leo smiled at the sight of father-in-law and son-in-law meeting at last.

"Oh, Paige …" sighed Piper, turning to her, "If only you could see this …"

* * *

  
Prue and Paige were now back in the attic of the Halliwell Manor. Piper and Phoebe were standing before the Book of Shadows, while younger Paige was standing in front of a circle of candles arranged on the floor. All three of them were wearing dresses: Piper's was black, Phoebe's red and Paige's pink.

"You'll love this memory," said Prue, with a smile.

Piper and Phoebe began to read an incantation from the Book:

"_Hear these words, hear my cry,  
__Spirit from the other side.  
__Come to me, I summon thee,  
__Cross now the great divide."_

Suddenly, a shimmering golden light appeared within the circle of candles. It glowed and sparkled, and then, before everyone's eyes, it cleared to reveal the ghostly figure of a woman with shoulder-length brunette hair.

"There's someone here we thought you should meet," said Phoebe.

Younger Paige and the ghostly figure looked at one another.

"Paige …" gasped the figure.

Younger Paige gasped as she looked at the woman she had never met,

"Mum …?"

Patty Halliwell walked towards her, and as she did, her ghostly glow vanished and she became corporeal. She wrapped her arms around the daughter she had given away as a baby, and hugged her tightly. Paige returned the hug as Piper and Phoebe looked on, smiling.

As Patty and Paige separated, they smiled at each other.

"Welcome home," said Patty.

They then embraced each other once again. Prue turned to older Paige, and could see the tears in her eyes. Smiling, she put her arm around Paige, and pulled her towards her. Paige then put her arm around Prue, and the two once unknown sisters hugged each other. Eyes drenched in tears, they disappeared with a flash.

* * *

They next appeared in a mausoleum. Paige wiped her eyes, and once she had, she noticed that Prue was staring at the wall, upon which there were several plaques, each of these displaying the name of someone who had died.

"Prue …?" asked Paige softly. As she reached Prue, she turned to the wall, and there she saw a plaque that read:

**Prudence Halliwell 1970-2001**

"I think I know what memory this is," said Paige.

"Then you'd be right," said Prue, turning to Paige, "It's as you said at the church, Piper was the one who took my death the hardest. She fell into despair, but tried to mask the pain by going on a non-stop demon hunt …"

"And then the Furies got to her," finished Paige.

Just then, a mass of blue orbs materialised beside them. Prue and Paige walked around, and watched Leo, Piper and Paige orb in. Piper's hand was around Paige's throat, but Paige pushed her away.

Piper had unusual tribal markings all over her face, there were braids in her hair and she was wearing a torn red dress. She also had sharp talons at the end of her fingers.

As she stepped back, Piper saw Prue's plaque on the wall. Younger Paige and Leo turned to the wall to look at it too.

"Tell her, Piper," she said, as they turned back, "It's alright to hate her."

Piper looked away from them, and then ran to the doors. They were chained shut, and Piper struggled to open them.

"You should hate her," said Paige, "When my parents died, I hated them for it. I was alone, and I hated them."

Piper suddenly stopped struggling.

"It is OK to hate Prue!"

"I'm sorry," said older Paige suddenly.

"Don't be," said Prue, "You were right. When Andy died, sometimes I felt as if I secretly hated him for leaving me."

Paige sighed, and turned back to see Piper standing before younger Paige.

"How … DARE YOU!" yelled Piper.

However, she then turned and ran towards Prue's plaque.

"How dare you LEAVE ME!" she yelled, slamming the wall with her hands. She began to cry.

"How could you go and die and leave me here all alone?!? Please come back!"

She stared up at her sister's plaque.

"I need you … please come back …" she sobbed, before screaming and falling to the floor.

As she sobbed, grey smoke flowed over her. When it cleared, the talons and markings were gone, and her hair was straight. She was now wearing a jumper, jeans and boots. Piper was no longer a Fury, as she had finally expressed the anger she had been hiding deep inside.

Leo knelt down beside her, as both Paiges and Prue looked on.

"It's OK, it's OK, honey," said Leo, placing his hand on Piper's leg.

"It's not OK," sobbed Piper, holding on to Leo, "She's my sister, and she never did … she never thought about what would happen to me and Phoebe if she was gone!"

"I know," said Leo, as younger Paige felt tears on her face.

"How could she think … that I could live without her?" sobbed Piper, as Leo hugged her. As Piper sobbed onto Leo's shoulder, Paige looked up sadly at Prue's plaque.

"She's right," said Prue, "I never did consider …"

"You didn't know you were going to die," said older Paige, "I am sure you would have if you did."

Prue took Paige's hand, and as they watched younger Paige, Leo and Piper orb away, they too left.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Magic School, Henry and Sam were now sitting beside Paige, reminiscing about their times with her.

"Well, at least they're getting along," said Phoebe, sighing.

"Yeah, but we _still_ don't know anything about this entity," said Piper, "And if we can't figure out what it is, then we won't be able to bring Paige back."

"Well, the Elders are trying to figure things out," said Leo.

"Yeah, but they themselves said that this is unique," said Phoebe, "Maybe this goes beyond them."

"So, what should we do?" asked Piper.

"Hey, what if we summoned the Angel of Destiny?"

"No, we need the Power of Three for that," said Piper, "And even if we could, he or she probably wouldn't tell us anything."

Just then, Sam rose to his feet and walked towards the others.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"No," said Phoebe sadly, "We were just talking, and we're worried that this thing might be beyond the Elders."

"What makes you think that?" asked Sam.

"Well, the Elders don't really have any influence in limbo," explained Leo.

"And they said that they hadn't seen anything like this before," said Phoebe.

"But if the Elders can't help us, who can?" said Piper.

Sam then looked straight at Piper.

"What?" she asked.

"I think I might know who to ask," replied Sam.

"Who?" asked Phoebe.

"Well, limbo is a spiritual plain, right?"

"Yeah …" said Leo.

"So, what if we asked someone _from_ a spiritual plain?"

"Such as …?" asked Phoebe.

Piper looked at Sam, and as they stared into each other's eyes, Piper suddenly had a thought.

"Grams!"

"You really think Grams will know about this?" asked Phoebe.

"Well, it's worth a shot," said Piper.

"OK, you need to get to the Book of Shadows," said Leo.

"I'll orb you there," said Sam.

"But don't you want to stay here with Paige?" asked Phoebe.

"I said I wanted to help save her, and that's exactly what I am going to do."

"OK," nodded Piper, and then she walked towards Henry, kneeling down beside him.

"Sweetie, we're going to head back to the Manor," she said, "We think we might know someone who can help."

Henry nodded silently, still staring at Paige.

"Are you going to be OK here?"

"I'll stay with him," said Leo, "You guys go ahead."

Piper then rose to her feet, and she and Phoebe took Sam's hands. The three of them orbed away, as Leo made his way over to Henry.

"Don't give up hope," he said, patting Henry on the back.

Henry gave a small smile to him, and then turned back to Paige, holding her cold hand.

* * *

Piper Halliwell walked through the doors of the South Bay Social Services offices, a basket in her hand. She looked around the office, and then she saw Paige sitting at her desk, twirling her hair in her fingers.

She walked towards her, and then Piper placed the basket on Paige's desk. Paige looked up to see Piper give her a small smile. Paige then turned to the basket, and lifted the cover to see its contents.

"Muffins," she said, "Thanks."

"Busy work," said Piper, "I'm best in the kitchen. Prue was the one that liked to … uh … chase demons."

There was then an awkward silence, in which Paige and Piper smiled at each other. Paige then looked behind Piper.

"Man, he's like a whole new Donny," she said, and Piper turned to look at a man with black hair and a bald spot on top, "What did Leo say to him?"

Donny then noticed Piper and Paige, and he smiled nervously. He then walked away, trying to avoid eye-contact with them.

"Um … I don't know," said Piper, smiling, "He's a miracle worker, that husband of mine!"

Paige gave a small laugh, which was followed by another awkward silence.

"So, how are you?" asked Paige.

Piper sighed.

"I've had bad hours," she said, as she lowered herself into a chair, "and hours that … aren't quite so bad."

Paige nodded.

"I guess you know how it is," said Piper softly.

"Yeah," said Paige, "When my parents died, there were … some days when I didn't think I'd survive the sadness."

She sighed.

"It's never going to be OK that she's gone, Piper … but I promise it will get better."

Piper smiled at Paige, and then she noticed scratches on Paige's neck.

"You know, Leo could fix that for you."

"It's my first war wound," laughed Paige, "I think I'll wear it with pride!"

"Unfortunately, in this family, it will not be the last," said Piper.

"Well, every family has its pros and its cons," said Paige, "A couple of demon battles in exchange for the power to clean up my friend's skin. I'd say it's worth it."

"The power to what?"

They turned to see a woman laughing. She was talking to a young man with brown hair and pure, zit-free skin.

"He's cute, isn't he?" said Paige, "You should've seen him yesterday."

Piper turned back to Paige, smiling."OK, you saved my life, so I guess we're even on the Book of Shadows swipe," she said, as Paige bit her lip, "But, Paige, there are rules to being a witch. Rules that you will have to learn and follow."

"Well, not to be difficult, but … you're married to our whitelighter, and Phoebe's shacking up with a demon," said Paige, with a small laugh, "So, on balance, maybe my friend could stay cute?"

Piper shook her head, smiling.

"OK!"

As they smiled at each other again, Paige's boss walked over to her desk.

"My, my, my," he said, "That pile looks about the same size as it did about an hour ago."

"Oh, that was my fault," said Piper, rising to her feet, "I distracted her with muffins."

"And you are?"

Piper and Paige looked awkwardly at each other before Piper answered.

"I'm her sister."

Piper then gave Paige one final smile before she walked towards the doors. Paige smiled as she watched her leave.

As Piper walked through the doors, Prue and older Paige walked into the main aisle. They looked at each other, both opening their mouths as if to say something, but they couldn't. Instead, Prue smiled and placed her hand on Paige's arm, who smiled back. They then vanished once again.

* * *

Billie walked into the Manor attic, and was surprised to see Piper, Phoebe and Sam surrounding the Book of Shadows. She also noticed a ring of candles on the floor.

"I thought I heard something," she said, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Summoning Grams to see if she might know something about this entity," said Phoebe.

"You think she will?"

"Well, she _is_ from one of the spiritual plains," said Sam.

"Oh, Billie, you remember Sam, don't you?" asked Piper, "Paige's father?"

"Yeah," said Billie, raising her hand in greeting, "Hi, Sam."

"Nice to see you again," said Sam, with a smile.

"Where's Lauren?" asked Phoebe.

"Oh, she said she felt exhausted, so she went to one of the bedrooms to have a nap," explained Billie, "Is that OK?"

"Yeah, of course," said Piper, "Lauren deserves some rest after everything she's learned and seen today."

"Well, hopefully, she won't see anything more," said Phoebe, with a sigh, "OK, ready?"

"Yeah," said Piper, as she and Phoebe began to chant a spell from the Book:

"_Hear these words, hear my cry,  
__Spirit from the other side.  
__Come to me, I summon thee,  
__Cross now the great divide."_

Almost instantly, a shimmering golden light appeared within the ring of candles. Billie joined the others as the light faded to reveal the ghostly figure of an older woman with blonde-brunette hair. She was wearing a red jumper with matching throw, a long orange skirt and sandals.

"Hey, Grams," said Phoebe.

"Piper, Phoebe," said Penny Halliwell, speaking with an overly enthusiastic tone, "How lovely to see you. Oh, and of course, you too, Billie."

"Its nice to meet you, Miss Halliwell," said Billie, smiling.

"Oh honey, please, either Penny or Grams."

Penny then caught sight of Sam, and her expression changed.

"Sam," she said, frowning and avoiding eye-contact.

"Nice to see you too, Penny," said Sam, rolling his eyes.

"OK, Grams, listen, we know that you know why we summoned you," said Piper, "What do you know about the entity that is keeping Paige in limbo?"

"E-entity, you say?" said Penny, again sounding too over-enthusiastic, "How interesting, but I'm afraid I don't know anything about it."

"Oh, Grams, come on," said Phoebe, "You were never any good at lying. If there's something we should know, then please tell us."

Penny stuttered, looking at Piper, Phoebe, Billie and then briefly at Sam. Just then, however, another shimmering light appeared beside her, and the ghostly figure of Penny Halliwell appeared.

"Mum?" said Piper, "What are you doing here?"

"I was just … coming down to see how you are," said Penny, smiling. As she looked at the three girls standing before her, her eyes fell upon Sam.

"Sam …" she gasped.

"Hello, Penny," said Sam, with a smile.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help bring my daughter back," explained Sam.

Grams chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh, sure, _now_ he takes an interest in his daughter's well being …"

"OK, OK," said Piper loudly, "You can settle your arguments at the next family reunion. Right now, we need to concentrate on saving Paige, and you can help by telling us what you know."

Penny and Patty looked at each other. Patty then looked as if she was about to say something, but Penny interrupted.

"I'm sorry, girls, but we don't know anything," she said, still sounding unconvincing, "Don't worry, though, I am sure whomever is with Paige is taking good care of her …"

"Wait a minute," said Billie, "_Whomever_? We only knew it was an entity. We didn't say it was a person."

Penny's mouth hung open, looking as if she had just said something she shouldn't have.

"Grams," said Piper, seriously, "who is in limbo with Paige?"

Patty turned to her mother.

"They have a right to know," she said, before turning back to her daughters. She took a deep breath, and then answered Piper's question.

"Prue."

Everyone in the attic was stunned into silence. Phoebe gasped, her eyes wide, Billie raised her hand to her mouth, and Sam ran his hand through his hair nervously. Piper turned away and looked out of the window behind them. Her arm movements suggested she was wiping away tears.

Billie was the first to speak.

"You mean Prue … as in Prue _Halliwell_?"

"Yes," said Patty, "Prue travelled to limbo to stop Paige from dying."

"I can't believe this …" said Phoebe, almost smiling, tears forming in her eyes, "Prue …"

Billie walked over to Phoebe and placed her hand on her back. Phoebe wiped her eyes.

"We were sworn to secrecy by her," said Penny, "She didn't want you to know, because she was worried you'd be upset."

"Oh really? And why would that be?"

Everyone turned to face Piper, who was still staring out of the window.

"Piper …?" said Patty softly.

"Could it be because she abandoned us? Because she just expected us to pick up the pieces of this family?"

"Now, Piper …" said Penny, but Piper ignored her. As the tears ran down her face, Piper's voice became louder.

"She just expected me to be in charge of the family, to be the responsible one! How was I supposed to do that, when she abandoned us?!? Left us to fight The Source, and Cole, and Zankou, and the Triad?!?"

"Piper, she didn't mean to …" said Phoebe.

"Oh, well that makes it fine then!" yelled Piper, turning to Phoebe, "It doesn't matter that she left us, just as long as she didn't mean to!"

"Piper …" said Billie.

"When she died, it was as if my heart had been ripped out and DESTROYED!" yelled Piper, now sobbing, "One day, she was my big sister, and the next, she was gone! HOW COULD SHE DO THAT TO ME?!? How could she have just abandon us, and leave this family in tatters?!?"

Piper sniffed, and wiped her eyes. No-one spoke; they were all shocked by this outburst, something which Piper had not done in five years.

"You know, I have dreamed of the moment, when someday, somehow, I would see Prue again," said Piper, quieter, "I prayed and hoped for the day when she would appear before me, and hug me, and comfort me, like she used to!"

Phoebe walked towards her, arms outstretched. However, Piper began to speak again, and Phoebe retracted.

"And NOW, she finally has the chance to meet us, and what does she do? She goes and gets herself and Paige trapped in limbo!"

Piper shook her head furiously. Patty and Penny looked at each other sadly.

"I cannot believe she would do this to me," said Piper, "I cannot BELIEVE she would put me through this hurt ALL OVER AGAIN!"

Phoebe sighed sadly, while Billie looked on the verge of tears. Sam didn't know what to do, so he just stood still and quiet.

"Piper …" said Penny.

"NO, Grams!" yelled Piper, turning to her, "Do NOT stand up for Prue, do NOT make excuses for her! You know, I don't mind that Paige gets to meet her. What drives me CRAZY is that she didn't even think to, oh, I don't know, drop by, leave a message! It's been FIVE YEARS, for goodness sake, and NOT ONCE has she even BOTHERED to contact us!"

Now it was Patty who looked almost ready to cry. It was breaking her heart to see her daughter in such pain.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart …" she sobbed.

"It's not you that I am angry at," said Piper, softly, "It's her. I just … I hate her so much right now …"

"You don't mean that …" said Penny.

"Oh, I do, Grams," said Piper, nodding, "I hate Prue, and you know what? I could not care less if I EVER see her again!"

And then, before anyone could stop her, Piper stormed out of the attic, tears running down her face. Penny put her arms around Patty, who was now sobbing.

"Take care of her," Penny told Phoebe, and Phoebe nodded as the two shimmered away.

"I …um … better go check on Lauren …" said Billie, wiping her eyes. She then ran out of the attic.

"Come on, we should head back to Magic School," Phoebe said.

"But, what about Piper?" asked Sam.

"We'll tell Leo, and then he and I will come back for her. Come on, let's go."

Sam took Phoebe's hand, and the two orbed away, leaving the Manor attic silent once again.


	6. Light and Darkness

_**Thanks again to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and alerted this story. It's thanks to you that I'm still writing. :)**_

**

* * *

**

**Light and Darkness**

Prue and Paige were now in the hall of the Halliwell Manor. Instantly, they could hear voices, and they made their way into the sitting room. There, they could see Piper, Phoebe and Paige sitting on a sofa couch, and Leo standing. The others were all looking at Paige, who looked close to tears.

"So, I wasn't the ideal high school student, you know," said younger Paige, "I skipped classes, partied all night with my friends ...pretty much anything they wanted to do, I was up for it."

"Hmm, sounds like someone else I know," said Piper, adding as Phoebe stared at her, "What I mean to say is that high school is a time of searching and figuring out who you are for everybody."

"Yeah, but I was cruel," said Paige, "Especially to my mum and dad. The day they died, I told them they weren't my real parents, which was stupid because it wasn't even how I felt. I mean, just because I was adopted it didn't mean they weren't my real parents, because they were."

At this moment, Prue turned to older Paige, and was not surprised to see that her eyes were now moist. Prue sighed, wrapped her arm around Paige and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Well, you were just feeling lost and you made a mistake," said Phoebe, "I made so many mistakes, you know, but I got through them."

She gave Paige a small smile.

"I changed and so have you."

"Not in time," said Paige.

"What do you mean?" asked Leo.

"It was ... um ... family night. Just something we did every week, and my father left the fire station early, to pick up my mum and I."

"Your dad was a fireman?" asked Phoebe, with a small smile.

"Yeah," said Paige, sobbing, "And I ... started bitching. I was too old for this and I was ... super lame. He was so angry with me. He ... he didn't see the car that swerved into our lane, and the next thing I know, I'm on the pavement, and the car's on fire ... I still don't know why I survived and they didn't."

Now, Prue could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

"But you can't blame yourself for that," said Phoebe sadly.

"Well, I feel guilty every single day," sobbed Paige.

"I know it's hard, but you gotta try and move forward," said Piper softly.

The tears were now streaming down the faces of both Paiges.

"How can I move forward, Piper? I killed my parents."

Phoebe reached over to younger Paige, and Paige sobbed into Phoebe's shoulder as they hugged. Piper turned to Leo.

"What do we do?" she asked, "How can we help her deal with something that happened in the past?"

"Send her back to it," replied Leo.

Older Paige then had a thought.

"Prue," she said softly, "where were you planning on taking me next?"

Prue raised her head as they parted, and looked into Paige's eyes. She frowned sympathetically.

"We don't have to see it if you don't want to," she replied.

Paige sighed.

"It's just, after watching this memory ... I just ... don't think I could relive the accident all over again."

Prue nodded.

"OK, I know exactly where to go next."

And with that, they disappeared.

* * *

The photographs lay all over Piper's bed, all taken at varying times in the lives of the four sisters. Piper had sieved her way through them all to find any pictures with Prue in them , and these photos were lying in a pile in front of her.

Her long hair hung over her shoulder as she began to glance through them. Amongst the photos was a photo of Prue and Piper as young children holding the hands of their mother, one of Prue, Piper and Phoebe standing in front of the Manor and one taken at Phoebe's first Christmas, back when their mum and dad were still together.

Piper picked up a photo of Prue, which was taken a couple of months before she died. Piper remembered that Phoebe was the one who took the picture, using Prue's camera (without her permission). Piper smiled as she gazed at her sister.

The first time Piper had seen this photograph, she had told a slightly annoyed Prue that it was actually a very good picture of her, and as she looked at it now, her opinion was still the same.

Prue's green eyes shone, and her long, dark-brunette hair looked almost silk-like. She was wearing her favourite black leather jacket and a lilac t-shirt. She looked beautiful ... even if it was obvious her smile wasn't genuine. She had unwillingly agreed to pose for the photograph, and Piper remembered the short argument that Prue and Phoebe had had afterwards. Back then, of course, Piper was the middle sister, and was expected to be the peacemaker between them, but sometimes, she found that it was easier just to let them argue. In this case, Prue and Phoebe had made up by that evening, and, after seeing it, Prue even agreed to keep the photograph.

Piper smiled again as she looked into Prue's eyes, and then she felt the tears in her eyes again. She closed her eyes, and began to sob into her hands.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Piper?"

Piper raised her head, and swept some loose hairs out of her face.

"The door's open, Phoebe," she sobbed.

The door opened, and in walked Phoebe, closely followed by Leo.

"I've brought Leo with me," said Phoebe, "Billie's with Lauren, and Sam and Henry are with Paige."

Phoebe and Leo sat on opposite sides of Piper on the bed. They peered down at the many photographs scattered over the bed, as Piper cleared her throat and wiped her eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Leo.

"Just going through some old pictures," answered Piper softly, picking up the photograph of Prue again.

Phoebe gave a small laugh as she looked at it.

"Oh, I remember this," she said, "I used her camera to take this. She wasn't too pleased, was she?"

"Oh, you two had worse arguments," said Piper, turning to Phoebe and giving her a small smile, which Phoebe returned.

Leo ran his hand over Piper's shoulder.

"Those things I said ..." said Piper, "You know, about hating Prue. I never ..."

"We know you didn't mean them, sweetie," said Phoebe softly, putting her arm around Piper's shoulders, "You're upset, we understand."

"When Prue died, you were the one who took it the hardest," said Leo, "Phoebe was upset too, of course, but at least she had an older sister to help look after her. You didn't have that anymore, so no-one could blame you for how you reacted."

Piper sighed deeply.

"That was five ... years ago," she said, "I shouldn't have reacted that way after five years. I should be ... over it by now ..."

"Piper," said Leo, "whether it's five years or fifty years, you never get over the loss of someone you love, especially if they're taken from this world too soon. It might get easier, but you never get over it."

"There will always be a part of us that misses her, Piper," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, but why ... did I react as strongly as that?" said Piper, beginning to cry again.

"Well, it's like Leo said, you took her death harder than anyone. Hearing about Prue being in limbo probably brought back all that pain back, and that's why you reacted the way you did."

Piper sighed again as Phoebe kissed her on the forehead.

"I hope she's taking good care of Paige," said Piper.

"I'm sure she is," said Phoebe softly.

Piper then leaned towards Leo, who hugged her. Phoebe placed her hand on Piper's, and her other hand on Leo's shoulder. The three of them then sat there in silence.

* * *

Billie stepped back from the bedroom door, sighing. She had heard the whole conversation, and she was filled with sadness and compassion for Piper. Billie knew how she felt, of course, as she too had lost her sister all too soon.

She began to walk away from the door, and made her way to the next nearest bedroom. She knocked on the door.

"Lauren?"

There was no answer, so Billie opened the door. The covers on the bed were unmade, and as she entered the room, Billie saw Lauren gazing out of the window.

"Lauren, why aren't you asleep?"

"I ... heard Piper," replied Lauren, "I heard how upset she was, and I couldn't get back to sleep."

Billie closed the door, and walked towards her.

"We've learned that Piper and Phoebe's sister Prue is the entity that's keeping Paige in limbo," said Billie, "Piper was upset because ..."

"Because Prue couldn't come here, even although she died five years ago," finished Lauren, "What was she talking about? If her sister's dead, how can she come back?"

"Well, you see, there's a spell they have which they can use to summon the spirits of those who have died. They can summon their mother and their grandmother, but for some reason, they've never managed to summon Prue."

Lauren sighed.

"And that means that Paige has never met her, before ...?"

"No," said Billie, "Paige only came into the family after Prue died."

Lauren shook her head.

"I didn't ask for this, you know."

"Ask for what?" asked Billie.

"All of this," said Lauren, turning to Billie, "Magic, darklighters, becoming a whitelighter. I don't want to be a whitelighter!"

"I'm sorry, Lauren, but I'm afraid you don't have a choice," said Billie, "It's your destiny."

Lauren walked over to the bed, sat on the edge and put her head in her hands. Billie sat down beside her.

"It's not a bad thing, being a whitelighter," she said.

"Yeah, it sounds great," said Lauren sarcastically, raising her head, "Being hunted by darklighters, being in constant fear of my life, seeing a good friend barely alive; yeah, Billie, being a whitelighter sounds like a great thing!"

"Hey, you're only looking at the negative side of things," said Billie.

"Well, after what I've seen today, forgive me if I can't see the positive side, Billie."

There were a few moments of silence, and then Billie took Lauren's hand in both of hers.

"Lauren, do you remember, on the day we first met, I asked you what your ambitions were in life?"

"Yeah ..." said Lauren softly, now looking at the wall in front of her.

"What did you tell me?"

"I ... I told you that I was studying to become a teacher," said Lauren.

"Yes," said Billie, "and why do you want to be a teacher?"

For the first time since her encounter with the darklighters, Lauren managed a small smile.

"To ... help children," she said.

"Exactly," said Billie, smiling, "Well, being a whitelighter is like being a teacher, only on a grander scale. You'll have charges all of your own ..."

"Charges?" asked Lauren, turning back to Billie.

"Sort of like whitelighter students. You're Paige's charge, and as soon as she comes back, she'll teach you all about being a whitelighter. Then, when you're a whitelighter, you can teach your charges what Paige has taught you."

Lauren smiled again.

"Not only that, but you'll be the first port of call to the whole magical community," said Billie.

"There's a magical community?" gasped Lauren.

"Are you kidding? There are all sorts of magical creatures; leprechauns, fairies, wood nymphs, even mermaids ... they're all real."

"Mermaids are real?" asked Lauren.

"Oh yeah," said Billie, "In fact, you know Phoebe? She once turned into a mermaid."

"Really?" said Lauren, mouth open in shock.

" Yeah, apparently it was to do with her being broken-hearted over Cole," said Billie.

"Who's Cole?"

"Oh, her demonic ex-husband," said Billie, shrugging.

"Phoebe married a demon?" gasped Lauren again.

"Well, he was good, apparently, before he turned evil again and the sisters had to vanquish him ... twice."

Lauren was staring at Billie, a look of complete shock on her face.

"Oh, don't worry, though, the worst evil you could ever meet is those darklighters, and you'll have those cool whitelighter powers to protect yourself and others."

"Too bad those powers couldn't protect Paige," said Lauren, sighing sadly.

"Don't worry," said Billie, "Paige is coming back, and once she does, you are going to see just how amazing it is to be a whitelighter. It's like ... being a guardian angel for all magical beings."

"Wow, you make it sound so ... amazing."

"Well, that's how Paige described it to me," said Billie, smiling.

She then outstretched her arms, and she and Lauren hugged.

"Don't worry; everything's going to work out just fine. You'll see ..."

* * *

  
Piper, Phoebe and Paige were sitting at the dining room table, eating their dinner. As Prue and older Paige flashed in, they watched the three sisters clink their glasses.

"Thank you, guys," said Phoebe, smiling.

"Just no weddings until we vanquished the Source," said Piper.

Paige raised her glass to her lips, but stopped before it touched them.

"Apple cider?" she asked.

"Apple cider, yes," said Piper, smiling.

Paige smiled and sipped from her glass. Phoebe and Piper looked at each other.

"Um, Paige," said Phoebe, "you haven't told us, and we're dying to know. What happened in your past?"

Paige sighed sadly, putting her glass down.

"Well, I found out that I wasn't responsible for the accident."

"Of course you weren't," said Piper, with a small smile.

"Then what's the matter?" asked Phoebe.

"It just ... makes me sad that my parents won't see us, or what I've become," replied Paige, as Piper and Phoebe looked at her sadly.

"Actually, that's not quite true."

The five sisters turned to see Leo, standing in the hall. They then saw two figures fade in beside him. Eventually, the figures became corporeal, and there stood Mr and Mrs Matthews.

Younger Paige gasped and rose to her feet, and older Paige sighed contentedly.

"Uh, Leo?" said Piper, as both she and Phoebe looked surprised.

"Let's just say I owe Clyde now," said Leo, smiling.

Younger Paige stared at her adoptive parents, as they smiled back at her.

"We know who you are, honey," said Mrs Matthews, smiling, "Who you've become."

"We've been with you every step of the way, and we're so proud of you, sweetheart," said Mr Matthews.

"As am I," said Prue. Paige put her arm around Prue, and Prue did the same to Paige.

Younger Paige ran to her parents, and they hugged. Tears of joy ran down Paige's face, as she savoured this single moment. Piper, Phoebe and Leo looked on, smiling.

"Thank you, Prue," said older Paige.

"What for?" asked Prue.

"For this."

"Well, what are sisters for?" said Prue, as they left this heart-warming scene.

* * *

  
Arrow was sitting in one of the caverns where the darklighters lived. He was balancing on his wooden chair, his feet on the table in front of him, staring at the rocky ceiling.

Just then, Drakor orbed into the cavern, and made his way to Arrow.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked, "There are celebrations in the other caverns. Everyone thinks we're heroes!"

$"Go and enjoy yourself then," said Arrow, "I might join you later ..."

Drakor sighed.

"What's the problem?"

Arrow took his feet off of the table, and turned his seat around to face Drakor.

"I've been thinking ..." he said, "Perhaps ... we were a bit too quick to let that girl go ..."

"Who, Lauren Stevens?"

Arrow nodded, and Drakor smirked.

"Oh, who cares about her? We killed Paige Matthews! Come on, you yourself said how much of an annoyance she's been, helping whitelighters and protecting the magical community."

"That is true ..." muttered Arrow.

"Exactly," nodded Drakor, "After all, that kid ... she's just one measly whitelighter ..."

Arrow looked up at him.

"What did you say?"

"I said that she's just one pathetic whitelighter," said Drakor.

"Just one whitelighter?" growled Arrow, rising to his feet, "Just ONE WHITELIGHTER?!?"

He grabbed Drakor's jacket and pulled him towards him.

"I'm sorry," said Drakor quickly, "I ... I didn't ..."

"You think that, if we let one future whitelighter go, then everything will stay the same?!?"

"Well, surely, just one ..." said Drakor.

"That's where it starts!" roared Arrow, "You let one whitelighter go, and then another escapes, and another ... until one day, the whitelighters band together, and then we won't stand a chance!"

"I'm sorry, Arrow ..." said Drakor, "I didn't think ..."

Arrow released Drakor's jacket, and walked towards his crossbow, which was leaning against the cavern wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Going after her," replied Arrow.

"But, won't she protected by the Charmed Ones, or at least, what's left of them?" asked Drakor.

"The Charmed Ones' power lies in the Power of Three, which is now non-existent," said Arrow, picking up his crossbow, "Besides, Piper and Phoebe will be too upset over the death of their sister to be concerned with protecting any innocents."

"Well, what about Billie Jenkins? She might be protecting her, and you yourself said she's not exactly a pushover!"

"True, and she's a smart witch; she probably has some form of magical protection over her," said Arrow.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" asked Drakor.

"Well, the witch can't keep Lauren protected forever," said Arrow, "She'll show herself sooner or later, and once she does ..."

A poisoned arrow appeared in the crossbow in a puff of black smoke, and Arrow armed it.

"... we'll be waiting for her."


	7. The Power of Three Sources

This chapter is the longest yet, and it is based on the three Sources: the original, Cole and the Seer. Hope you guys enjoy, and please review! :D

**_The Power of Three Sources_**

"Oh, time travelling always makes me dizzy."

Prue and Paige were once again back in the attic of the Manor. They were sitting on an old sofa, and Paige was massaging her head, groaning.

"Oh, that's right, you've done something like this before, haven't you?" said Prue.

"Yep," groaned Paige, "One time, Piper and Leo went to marriage counselling, and Piper cast a spell which sent me and Phoebe on a trip down memory lane."

"Yeah, those two certainly have had their ups and downs," said Prue, sighing.

"Yeah …" said Paige, lowering her hands and raising an eyebrow at Prue, "and if I remember correctly, one of the downs involved you wrecking Piper's wedding by driving off with a hottie on a motorcycle."

Prue laughed embarrassedly.

"Yeah … well, you know, that wasn't me. I mean, it _was_ me, but it _…_was an astral projection of me."

Paige smirked at Prue.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" said Prue, smiling and hitting Paige on the arm. Paige and Prue then laughed together.

Suddenly, the sound of explosions came from downstairs. Paige immediately rose to her feet.

"Prue, where are we now? I mean, when are we now?"

Prue rose to her feet, as the sounds of voices were heard coming from outside the closed attic door.

"At the point where you faced your original Charmed destiny," Prue replied.

Paige looked at her, confused. Prue turned to Paige, and as she heard the voices becoming clearer, Paige realised at what point in time they were.

"The Source …"

The attic door burst open. Phoebe and Paige ran through, both carrying Piper, who looked unconscious and cuts covered her face.

"Hurry, he's coming!" yelled Paige, as she and Phoebe carried Piper to the back of the attic. They lowered her to the floor.

"Come on, honey," said Phoebe, "we need you, Piper, it's time! Come on, you can do it!"

"Do what?" asked Paige, as Phoebe tried to wake up Piper, "We have no powers."

"It doesn't matter; we can still make the plan work."

Prue and older Paige looked at each other.

"Get the crystals," said Phoebe.

Paige turned to look at a table on the other side of the attic, upon which lay four white crystals. She got to her feet and ran towards the table.

Suddenly, a tower of fire flashed before her. When it cleared, a bald demon dressed in black robes stood before Paige. His face was white, but there was severe damage to half of it and his only eye was black and pupil-less. He was the Source of All Evil.

"Seems anti-climatic after all this time, doesn't it?" he growled, as Paige looked at him in horror.

He raised one of his clawed hands in front of her face, and pulled away from him. Paige flew into the air, and she crashed into a mattress and some cardboard boxes. The Source then turned to Phoebe and a still unconscious Piper.

"Piper …" said Phoebe softly, as Paige struggled to her feet.

"Say hello to Prue for me," said the Source, waving mockingly. Prue leered at him angrily.

Phoebe rose to her feet as a fireball formed in the Source's hand. She then ran towards him, and as the Source prepared to throw his fireball, Phoebe rose into the air and delivered a kick to the Source's chest. He fell to the ground as the fireball faded away.

"Phoebe!" yelled Paige, carrying the crystals in her arms. She threw two of them to Phoebe, who placed them on the floor.

Just then, the Source rose to his feet magically. Phoebe and Paige looked up at him, as he looked down at Phoebe.

"Your power was always the weakest, hardly worth taking," he said, grinning evilly, "Your life, however, IS!"

"Paige, now!" yelled Phoebe, as the Source looked ready to conjure another fireball. Paige quickly laid down her two crystals, and instantly a magical transparent cage formed around the Source, trapping him.

Paige and Phoebe stood up and ran towards Piper, who had at last regained consciousness. Paige sat beside her, as the Source smirked.

"Crystal," he said, opening his hand.

One of the crystals orbed away, re-appearing in the Source's hand. The cage faded away.

The sisters looked on in fear, Piper and Paige on the floor and Phoebe standing beside them.

"Now the moment we've all been waiting for!"

The Source conjured a fireball in his free hand. The sisters, even Prue and older Paige, braced themselves, as the Source prepared to throw it.

However, just then, Cole Turner shimmered in, running towards Phoebe. The Source threw the fireball directly at Phoebe, but Cole ran in its path. The fireball hit him, but it did not injure him. Instead, his body faded black for just a moment.

"Belthazor!" roared the Source.

"No," said Phoebe, looking at Cole and then the Source, "The Hollow."

Everyone turned to the Source, who looked at Cole in shock. Cole conjured a fireball and threw it at the Source, who staggered backwards as it hit him.

"Hurry, the spell!" said Cole.

Phoebe knelt down beside her sisters, taking a piece of paper out from her pocket and opening it. Cole threw another fireball at the Source, who again staggered as the sisters began to recite the spell written on the paper.

"_Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda_," said Piper, as Cole threw another fireball.

"_Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace_," said Phoebe, as Cole growled. The Source gasped as his robes suddenly caught fire_._

"_Halliwell witches, stand strong beside us_," said Paige, as the fire spread all over the Source's body.

"_Vanquish this evil, from time and space_," said the Charmed Ones together.

A tower of fire surrounded the Source, as he roared in pain. The sisters and Cole braced themselves as an almighty wind filled the attic, and even older Paige had to squint.

"NOOOOO!" the Source roared, as the fire consumed him. A final explosion, which spread across the attic, and the sisters and Cole looked up to see that they had vanquished the Source of All Evil.

Just then, with a blue flash, a black woman dressed in red robes appeared. She was holding an old box, and she was staring at the exact point of the Source's vanquish. Phoebe jumped slightly as she noticed the mysterious woman.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The woman turned to Phoebe.

"Someone who just helped save your lives," she replied. She then turned to Cole, and opened the box she was holding.

Cole groaned loudly, falling to his knees. He opened his mouth, as a black entity that looked and sounded like a swarm of wasps flew out of his mouth and eyes. The sisters looked on in confusion as the entity rose into the air and then into the box, which the woman then shut.

"Quickly, take my hand!" yelled the woman, reaching for Phoebe's hand. The sisters looked at each other, wondering if they could trust her. Phoebe then turned to Cole, who was breathing heavily, still on his knees.

"Trust her …" he said, "…if you want your powers back …"

Older Paige muttered under her breath, and Prue turned to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Cole and the Seer," replied Paige.

Prue sighed.

"I know," she said, "but they did help save your lives, even if it was for an ulterior motive."

"Hmm …" muttered Paige, as she and Prue turned to watch Phoebe slowly rise to her feet. She walked towards the Seer, who pulled Phoebe towards her.

"Say the inscription with me," she said.

Phoebe put her arm around the Seer for support, as they both read the inscription:

_"Aboneo extum cavum du eternias."_

Everyone watched as the box containing the Hollow rose into the air. It then began to glow with an almighty bright light, which filled the attic. All of a sudden, the light faded and the box was gone.

"Back to its cavern, at least for almost four years," said Prue.

"Leo …" said Piper softly.

"Let's go," said Phoebe, as she and younger Paige led the way out of the attic. Cole helped Piper to her feet, and assisted her out after them. Prue and Paige watched him glance at the Seer, who nodded back. The Seer watched them leave, smirked and then followed.

"Let's get downstairs," said Prue, reaching out for Paige's hand.

Paige grabbed it, and the sisters orbed downstairs to the sitting room. The first thing they saw was Leo lying on the couch. He had closed eyes, and a blanket was covering him.

Phoebe and younger Paige then ran into the room, straight towards him. Paige pulled the blanket down to reveal a wound in Leo's chest.

"Darklighter …" said older Paige softly.

Younger Paige nervously placed her hands over Leo's wound, trying to heal it. Nothing happened.

"I can't do it," she said, "Nothing's happening."

"Hold his hand," said Phoebe, as Paige obeyed, placing his hand over the wound, "and let his power to heal flow through you."

Paige placed both of her hands on Leo's, and closed her eyes. Moments later, golden light shone from Leo's hand, quickly healing the wound.

Leo then opened his eyes, and looked up at the sisters.

"Paige, Phoebe," he said softly, as Phoebe and Paige smiled.

"I did it," grinned Paige, "It worked!"

Just then, Cole and Piper walked into the room, Piper crossing her arms and Cole supporting her. Leo grinned at her, and Phoebe and Paige smiled as they turned to her.

"Leo," said Piper softly, as she walked past Phoebe and Paige towards him.

The Seer then walked into sight, beside Cole.

"All is as it should be again," she said, smiling, as Piper and Leo turned to her, "Time to return to my side."

Cole turned to the others, and then to the Seer.

"Too bad Belthazor's gone," she continued, "He would have made a great new Source."

She looked at Cole, smiling.

"Too bad," said Cole, as the Seer continued to stare at him.

"I don't know who you are," said Phoebe, as the Seer turned to her, "but whoever you are, we thank you."

"Oh, I didn't do this for your future," said the Seer, "I did it for mine."

For some reason, Cole suddenly looked nervous.

"I don't understand," said Paige, "If we got our powers back, where did the Source's go?"

The Seer smiled mysteriously.

"Into the void …?"

As the Seer vanished in a blue flash, everyone looked at each other, confused.

"OK," said Piper, "who was that?"

"A very evil person," replied Cole.

"Yeah," said Phoebe, "one that saved our lives and helped us kill the Source."

Prue turned to Paige, and saw that she looked deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking … about what the Seer said," said Paige, "About the Source's powers going into the void? I never understood what she meant."

"She meant the void in Cole," explained Prue, "The void that was formed when his demon half, Belthazor, was vanquished."

"And that's how …?"

"He became the Source, yes," said Prue. Paige nodded.

"You know, you and I have something in common when it comes to Cole: we were the only ones to sense something wasn't quite right at first. I sensed it with Belthazor, and you sensed it with the Source."

"Yeah, but at least when he was Belthazor, Cole didn't try to play mind games with you or try to turn Phoebe evil," said Paige, as they watched Leo heal the cuts on Piper's face.

Prue sighed.

"Yeah … even I didn't expect that …"

"And of course, by the time that Phoebe discovered that I was right about Cole …"

"… all hope appeared to be lost," said Prue softly, as she and Paige vanished from the Manor.

_

* * *

_

They re-appeared at a luxury penthouse, in the large sitting room. By looking through the glass-panelled doors, which led onto a balcony, Paige could see that it was again night-time.

"Cole's penthouse," she said.

She then turned to Prue, and saw that she was looking at a short balding man in black robes, holding a staff and reading a black spell book on a pedestal. Pacing in front of him was none other than Cole.

"How much longer?" asked Cole.

"Give me a break, will you?" said the man, who was a wizard, "This is tricky stuff. It'd be a lot easier if I could do this in friendlier confines."

"There are no friendly confines, not anymore," said Cole, as he stopped pacing, "This had better work, or you'll be joining the rest of your kind and not in the way you hoped for."

"Little tip: pressure's not the best motivational technique. If you wanna lose the Source's powers, don't rush me."

"Fine, but just so we're clear, once you get the Source's powers, I never hear from you again," said Cole.

"Understood," said the wizard, looking up at Cole, "Not that I'm ungrateful, but why are you so willing to do this?"

"Oh, I think I know why …," said Paige softly.

Cole paused for a moment before answering, as the wizard began to place candles on the floor in a circle, and lit them.

"I lost someone I love, and I want her back. That's all you need to know."

The wizard returned to the spell book, and smirked at Cole.

_"Love?"_ he sneered, "The Source can _love_?"

"Just keep working," said Cole, becoming impatient.

"I'll say this about him," said Paige, "He obviously loved Phoebe with all his heart, if he was willing to give up the powers of the Source for her."

"Yeah …" said Prue softly, "It's just a shame that it wasn't meant to be …."

"I'm done," said the wizard suddenly, as Prue and Paige turned back to him, "Now, if the spell's going to work, blood needs to spill."

The wizard took a dagger as Cole pulled up his sleeve. The wizard then cut Cole's arm, allowing a few drops of blood to drop on the Grimoire book.

"Now me," he said, cutting his own arm, the drops of blood falling onto the Grimoire. Smoke began to rise from the book, and the wizard began to chant:

_"Holus into exitus omne. Holus into exitus omne."_

As the wizard chanted, both he and Cole rose into the air and began to glow blue. The wizard then outstretched his arm as what looked like a black shadow was pulled out from Cole's body.

"The Source …" said Prue.

However, just then, in flashes of fire, the Seer and Phoebe appeared beside Prue and Paige.

"Save him," the Seer said, "For your son."

Phoebe raised her arm towards the wizard, and a stream of fire shot out from her hand. Paige gasped in shock as the fire consumed the wizard, who groaned painfully before the fire vanquished him.

Cole fell to the ground, groaning, as Phoebe ran to him.

"Phoebe vanquished the wizard?" said Paige.

"Yeah well, you have to remember she was under the influence of her baby," said Prue.

Phoebe knelt beside Cole.

"Are you OK?"

"What happened?" groaned Cole, picking himself up, "What did you do?"

"I vanquished him," replied Phoebe.

"Oh no! He was our last chance …"

"No, it wasn't," said Phoebe, smiling at him.

Just then, Prue and Paige heard jingling and turned to see Piper, Leo and younger Paige orb in.

"Oh, thank goodness we found you," said Paige.

Cole and Phoebe rose to their feet.

"It's too late," said Phoebe.

"What do you mean?" asked Leo, "What are you talking about?"

Phoebe walked towards the pedestal upon which the Grimoire lay, and carefully picked it up.

"Hey, I thought only evil could touch that book," said younger Paige.

"That's right," said Phoebe, carrying the book as she walked towards Cole.

"Phoebe, what's going on?" asked Piper nervously.

"I'm embracing my new destiny," said Phoebe in a sinister tone. She and Cole looked lovingly at each other as they both vanished in a flash of fire.

"What the hell was that?" yelled Piper.

"That was the Source," replied the Seer, "And his Queen."

"You did this," cried Piper angrily, pointing towards the Seer, "You poisoned her!"

"Maybe we should just vanquish you," said Paige.

"You can't," smirked the Seer, "Not without the Power of Three."

She then disappeared in a blue flash.

"I can't believe this is happening …," said Paige softly.

"Leo, where'd she go?" asked Piper frantically.

Leo closed his eyes, and was silent for a few moments. He then opened his eyes and looked at Piper.

"I can't sense her. They must be in the Underworld.""OK, so orb us down there, and we'll drag her back kicking and screaming," said Piper.

"There is no way that we can find the coronation site without the wizard," said Paige.

"I don't care, we can't just leave her there!" yelled Piper.

"We don't have a choice," said Leo, "We'll have to find another way …"

Piper stared at her husband in disbelief.

"Look, let's head back to the Manor, and check the Book," suggested Paige, "There's gotta be something in there that can help us get Phoebe back."

"Good idea," said Leo, "Let's go."

Leo wrapped his arm around Piper, as Paige out her hand on Piper's arm. Piper's arms were crossed and she was staring at the floor as the three of them orbed away.

"You know," said Prue suddenly, "you guys have been through a lot in the past five years, but I have to say that this is one of the moments that stand out in my memories the most. Phoebe choosing Cole over the family and becoming the Queen of All Evil almost ripped this family apart."

"Yeah," said Paige softly, "First Piper loses you, and then Phoebe …"

"Although, Phoebe never did forget about you guys," said Prue, as she waved her arm in front of her.

Suddenly, what looked like a magical television screen appeared in front of them.

"Whoa!" gasped Paige, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I may be dead, but I can still learn some new tricks," replied Prue.

Paige turned back to the screen to see herself, her sisters and Leo in an alleyway. There was also another man, whom Piper had frozen. Paige was observing him while Piper was staring at Phoebe._

* * *

_

_"How-how-how could you do that?" asked Piper in disbelief, as Paige walked by behind her, "How could you just let him go?"_

_"I don't know why you're so upset," said Phoebe, leaning against a large dustbin, "I mean, we saved the innocent, didn't we?"_

_"I can't talk to her," sighed Piper, talking to Leo, as she turned her back to Phoebe, "You talk to her."_

_"Phoebe …" began Leo._

_"Things are not as black and white as they used to be," interrupted Phoebe, "OK, I can't just go around killing demons any more!"_

_"Why not?" asked Paige, standing beside Leo, "We heard you just killed two last night."_

_"Yeah, well, that was different - he was getting on my nerves," muttered Phoebe, as Paige stared at her, "I promised Cole I wouldn't kill anymore, and killing Malik would've been a huge betrayal."_

_"Malik?" said Piper, "You're on a first name basis with the demons?"_

_"If you were just going to order him to stop, you could've done that on your own," said Leo, as Phoebe shook her head, "Why did you even come to us?"_

_"Because I missed you guys!" yelled Phoebe, "Is that so wrong? I … missed you!"_

_While younger Paige smiled, Piper just stared at Phoebe, her face emotionless._

_"Phoebe, you can't be Queen of the Underworld and a Charmed One," said Leo, "You can't have it both ways!"_

_"Why not?" asked Phoebe pleadingly, "Just because it's different doesn't mean that it can't work. And you all miss me too, even though … I'm sure Piper doesn't want to admit it to herself."_

_Piper turned away from Phoebe._

_"Of course we miss you, Honey," said Paige, smiling._

_"Well, you can have me back. You can have the Power of Three back … you just have to be willing to meet me halfway."_

_"Phoebe, you can't protect the innocent and save demons," said Piper, "It just doesn't work that way."_

_"Apparently it does," said Phoebe, "He's alive, isn't he?"_

_"Yeah, but your friend Malik is gonna come back," said Paige._

_"You don't know that."_

_"That's what they do, Phoebe," said Piper, "They come back. They snarl and come back!"_

_"Yeah, and now we have to worry about protecting him instead of trying to save you," said Paige._

_Phoebe had been looking to the ground, but at these words, she looked up at her sisters._

_"You think I need saving?"_

_"Are you kidding me?" said Piper, "Phoebe, that baby inside of you has corrupted you … more than you think."_

_"Piper …" said Phoebe softly._

_"Don't 'Piper' me! This is insane. What you are saying is insane. You cannot come back … you cannot work with us so long as you are married to the Source."_

_"So, what do you want me to do?!?" cried Phoebe, "You want me to leave my husband?!?"_

_"Yes!"_

_"That is NOT FAIR!"_

_"It's not fair, Phoebe," said Leo, "but you have to pick a side: good or evil. That's how it works. Even though it means giving up someone you love, you have to choose."_

_Phoebe looked at her sisters and Leo, who all looked back at her._

_"I'm really sorry you feel that way," she said, as Piper sighed._

_Phoebe then vanished in a flash of fire._

_"I can't do this," said Piper, handing Paige her potions as she began to leave._

_"What about Greg?" called Paige._

_Piper waved her arm in front of Greg, and he unfroze as she left. Greg walked over to a pole beside the wall and sighed._

_"Oh no, not again," he said, turning. He then noticed Paige and Leo._

_"Did you guys see anyone take off on a chromium orange bicycle?"_

_"No, sorry," replied Paige._

_"Why do I even bother locking it?" sad Greg, as he walked away, sighing._

_"Uh, what should we do?" asked Paige._

_"Follow him," replied Leo, and the two of them set off after Greg.

* * *

_

"She still cared about her family," said Prue, "and she found it difficult to choose a side. However, once Cole had killed Gregory, she was forced to choose …"

With a wave of her arm, Prue made the screen disappear. She then took Paige's hand, and the usual pink-white light surrounded them. When it cleared, it looked as if they had not moved at first: they were still in Cole's penthouse and it was still night-time.

However, now they could Cole embracing Phoebe.

"I love you, Phoebe," he said, "Just remember what happens next, we can handle it as long as we stay together."

"What do you mean, 'whatever happens next'?" asked Phoebe.

"The Conroy thing got serious. I had to take care of it."

Phoebe broke the hug and backed away from Cole.

"You killed him …?" she asked, panic in her voice.

"It was your mess," said Cole, "I was just cleaning it up."

"Cole, they're gonna come after you … they're gonna come here!"

"Well, if they do …" said Cole.

"No …"

Phoebe turned and walked away from Cole.

"Phoebe," said Cole, slowly following her, "if it comes down to them or us …"

"Oh my gosh …"

Phoebe ran past Prue and Paige and through a door into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Phoebe, wait …" said Cole.

Prue and Paige could hear the sound of vomiting, and then a tap running.

"Phoebe?" said Cole, knocking on the door, "Phoebe?"

Just then, there came the sound of jingling. Prue, Paige and Cole turned to see Leo and Piper orb in, and then near them, younger Paige carrying a box.

Cole walked past them, staring at first Piper, then Leo, who both stared back. He stopped in front of the windows, in the centre of them.

"You evil son of a bitch," said Paige coldly.

Cole briefly turned to Paige and then back to Piper, who flicked her hands at him. His body broke up into thousands of particles, which zoomed around quickly, sounding like a swarm of wasps. Paige quickly took this chance to lay out crystals (the same ones they had used to trap the original Source) in a circle around Cole.

"Phoebe, get out here and help us, damn it!" yelled Piper.

Suddenly, just as Paige was about to put down the fourth and final crystal, the particles rejoined to re-form Cole's body.

"Paige," said Piper.

Paige looked up, just as Cole knocked her into the air. She crashed into a large mirror in the wall and fell to the floor, as the crystal slid across the floor. Leo knelt down beside Paige and began to heal her, as Piper watched on.

"Don't make me kill you," said Cole calmly.

Piper turned back to him, and flicked her hands. Again, Cole's body broke up into the swirling particles.

"Phoebe, you heard what he said, he's gonna kill us!" called Piper, "Help us!"

Prue and Paige turned to the bathroom door, and as the door opened, they distinctly heard Phoebe's voice.

"Forgive me."

She then walked through the door, just as the particles re-formed into Cole's body again. He then conjured a fireball in his hand as Leo helped a newly-healed Paige to her feet.

Phoebe bent to pick up the crystal on the floor, as the others turned to her.

"I'm sorry, Phoebe," said Cole, turning from the others to Phoebe, "It's for the best."

"I know it is," said Phoebe, as she walked towards Cole. His fireball vanished as Phoebe pulled him into a kiss.

"Phoebe?" said Piper, as Leo and Paige watched in shock.

Prue and older Paige simply sighed sadly, as they knew what was about to happen.

Phoebe stepped back from Cole, and looked sadly into his eyes.

"I'm sorry too," she said softly, as she placed the crystal down on the floor.

Instantly, the magical cage appeared, trapping Cole. A mystical wind began to fill the room, as Phoebe stepped back to join her sisters. Piper and Paige took her hands.

"Phoebe, no …" said Cole softly, looking around at the crystals on the floor, and then he yelled, "NO!"

"I'm so sorry, baby," Phoebe sobbed, "I'm so sorry …"

Phoebe and Cole looked into each other's eyes, knowing what was coming.

"_Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda_," chanted Piper, and fire began to form around Cole's legs.

"_Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace_ …" sobbed Phoebe, as younger Paige sighed sadly.

Cole looked at Phoebe.

"I will always love you," he said, as Phoebe looked away, unable to look him in the eye any longer.

"_Halliwell witches, stand strong beside us_," chanted Paige.

"_Vanquish this evil_ …" said Phoebe, now looking down, avoiding Cole's eyes.

"_ … from time and space_," finished the Charmed Ones together.

Cole looked sadly at his wife one final time, before the fire finally consumed him. The explosion that followed was so strong that it destroyed the crystal cage, and shattered all the windows behind it, with an almighty smash.

Then it was over. Phoebe lifted her head away from Piper's chest, and looked at the point where Cole was standing. She swept the hair from her face as she walked to the spot, sobbing into her hands.

A cold air blew through the gaps where the windows once were, as Piper, Paige and Leo sadly looked on as Phoebe mourned the loss of her husband.

"Oh, Phoebe …" said Prue softly, "Your sorrow … it broke my heart …"

Paige turned to Prue, and was surprised to see her close to tears. She wrapped her arms around Prue and pulled her into a hug.

At the same time, Piper and younger Paige walked towards Phoebe, and wrapped their arms around her. Leo then slowly made his way to the Halliwells, and as he embraced them all, they orbed away.

Prue and Paige separated, and Prue quickly dried her eyes.

"Sorry, Paige," said Prue, "I mean … this was years ago … I should be over it by now …"

"It's OK," said Paige softly.

"The thing is … it's times like this when I realise how much I miss them … you know, actually physically being there …"

"Well, maybe, someday … you _will_ be."

Paige put her arm over Prue's shoulders, and Prue did the same to Paige. Then, with a flash, they were gone._

* * *

_

The Underworld was a dark and dreary place, mostly made up of rocky caverns and tunnels. Torches burned on the walls, and the only décor was black cloth hangings.

Paige groaned as she and Prue appeared.

"Ugh, I so don't like this place."

"Yeah, me neither," said Prue, "I think we should go this way."

They walked through the cave tunnel in front of them, and they had only walked for mere seconds when they heard voices. They followed the sound, and they eventually ended up in a large cavern.

There were iron grates on the walls, with fire burning behind them. There was a black marble platform in the middle of the cavern, upon which there was a pedestal. Prue and Paige instantly recognised the book on the pedestal as the Grimoire.

There was another thing that was very noticeable: demons filled the room Most of them were standing still, including an older demon dressed in robes of bright red standing beside the Grimoire. However, one of the demons was pacing impatiently back and forth.

"Deadline's passed," he said, "She's not here. The throne belongs to me!"

"We can wait one more …"

The demon, named Dane, cut across the robed demon, who was a Dark Priest.

"Give me the oath! I want my power!"

Just then, the Seer appeared in a flash of fire, wearing black robes instead of her usual red.

"You promised to bring the Source's heir," said Dane, "So, where is he?"

"Inside me," replied the Seer, as fire flashed in her eyes, which then turned completely black and pupil-less, just like the Source's.

The demons in the cavern gasped in shock, and then bowed their heads. Dane looked around in shock, as the Dark Priest approached the Seer.

"The council has chosen," he said, turning to Dane, "The Seer will be our new Source."

"No!" roared Dane, "It's a trick!"

"I have brought the council a gift," said the Seer, smirking as she turned and waved her arm in front of her.

A large iron cage suddenly appeared, with Phoebe and Paige trapped inside.

"Hey!" said Phoebe, shooing away one of the demons who had approached the cage for a closer look. Dane approached the cage.

"Charmed Ones," he said, then turning to the Seer, "How dare you bring them into our sanctuary!"

"The witches are locked in a cage from which no magic can escape," said the Seer calmly.

"You can't be sure of that!"

"So much negative energy," said the Seer, before outstretching her arm towards Dane. A beam of blue energy shot out from her hand, hitting Dane.

"ARRGGHH!" roared Dane, as fire began to consume him, and then his body exploded as the energy vanquished him.

"Wow, it's so obvious she's loving those new powers of hers," said older Paige.

"Well, she'd been waiting for them for a long time …" said Prue.

The Dark Priest then approached the cage.

"Am I to presume these witches are the human sacrifice required to seal your coronation?" he asked the Seer, who smiled in reply as Phoebe and Paige both wore worried looks.

"Human sacrifice?" said Paige, "I didn't know that was part of the plan, did you?"

The Seer then addressed the demons.

"To be your Source, to start a new evil order, to kill the Charmed Ones: this was my vision from the beginning. Every council leader here will reap the rewards of …"

She then groaned in pain, and bent over as she clutched her stomach.

"What is it?" asked the Dark Priest.

"Just start the ceremony," said the Seer, as the Dark Priest walked to the pedestal.

"Doesn't look like she's having any more luck with that thing inside of her than you are," said Paige, as the Seer turned to the Dark Priest.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive," she added.

"It's OK," said Phoebe, "the baby wasn't mine."

"What do you mean?" asked Paige.

"The baby was never mine," explained Phoebe, "From the moment it took over, it just felt like this black hole of evil. Totally soulless."

"Phoebe?"

"Yeah?"

"Told you so."

The two sisters then laughed together, as Prue and older Paige smiled.

"I'm really sorry," said Paige, with a sad smile.

"I know you are, honey," said Phoebe softly, "I know you are."

Meanwhile, the Dark Priest and the Seer were reciting an oath.

"Seer," said the Dark Priest, "are you prepared to accept the power and position of the Source before all these leaders of the Underworld?"

"I am," replied the Seer.

"Ok, so now what?" said Phoebe.

"We might have a fighting chance if we had the Power of Three, but we can't get to Piper," said Paige, "Ugh, this cage is magic proof!"

"OK, so the cage is built to make sure magic wouldn't get out …" said Phoebe, Paige nodding in agreement, "…but in the premonition I had, I saw the Seer kill you with her power."

"So the cage lets magic in," said Paige, "Do you remember the spell to call a lost witch?"

"Piper and I just used it to try and find you. Uh …"

As the Seer and Dark Priest continued the oath, Phoebe recited the spell:

_"Powers of the witches rise,  
Course unseen across the skies,  
Come to us who call you here,  
Come to us and settle here."_

A few moments later, a shimmering light appeared behind Paige and Phoebe. It then cleared, and Piper was standing in the cage with her sisters.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. Phoebe and Paige quickly turned to her.

"Oh, thank goodness it worked," said Phoebe.

"So am I," said Piper, "Where are we?"

"Uh, trapped in a cage," said Paige.

"Mm-hmm … OK, so let's bust out!"

She raised her hands, ready to blast, but Paige stopped her.

"No, you can't use your magic in here, it'll just bounce off and probably kill us," said Paige.

"Repeat the oath after me," said the Dark Priest, as the Seer placed her hand upon the dark pages of the Grimoire.

"Uh, what's going on out there?" asked Piper.

"The Seer's being coronated as the new Source," said Phoebe, with a nervous laugh.

"Huh!" muttered Piper.

"Yeah, then she's gonna sacrifice us," said Paige.

The Dark Priest began chanting, and the Seer repeated.

"Let me get this straight," said Piper, smiling nervously, "you guys summoned me to a cage, where my powers don't work … so we can all die together?!?"

"Well, the plan has some flaws, admittedly," said Paige.

"We just have to stay positive," said Phoebe, "We have the Power of Three, here! There is nothing stronger than that, right?"

Just then, the Seer completed the oath. As she did, she rose into the air, and everyone, even Prue and Paige (who had seen this before), watched in awe and fear as a mysteriously bright blue light shone from her body. The light was so strong that even older Paige had to squint.

The cavern then began to shake and rumble.

"Are you sure there's nothing stronger than the Power of Three?!?" cried Piper.

The Seer then stopped glowing, and descended to the floor, now the new Source of All Evil. She then turned to the cage and was taken aback as she saw Piper, who stared angrily back at her.

"What an unexpected surprise," said the Seer, "You've just made my …"

She then groaned in pain again: this time, however, flames burned upon her head.

"It's the baby," said Phoebe, "He has too much power for her. That's how I felt: it felt like I was gonna explode."

"And as I recall," said Prue, "you were at the receiving end of that power."

"Yeah," said Paige, "If I remember correctly, I was thrown through a window, had fire thrown at me, smacked in the face by Phoebe, and … oh yeah, ended up in that cage!"

"What are we gonna do?" asked younger Paige.

"We need to make her tap into the baby's power," said Phoebe, "All of it."

"How the hell are we gonna do that?"

Just then, the flames vanished from the Seer's head, and she stood tall again.

"I command all in attendance to witness the power of the Source," she called, as the sisters looked at each other.

"The Power of Three spell?" said Piper.

"Uh, OK," said Phoebe.

The Seer then outstretched her arm, as the Charmed Ones began to chant:

_"The Power of Three will set us free  
The Power of Three will set us free …"_

The beam hit the cage, but it did not harm the sisters. It was almost as if the spell had conjured a magical shield around them.

_"The Power of Three will set us free …"_

"What's wrong?" asked the Dark Priest.

"Nothing's wrong!" yelled the Seer, as she raised her other arm, shooting another beam of energy at the cage.

_"The Power of Three will set us free  
The Power of Three will set us free …"_

The energy then deflected off the cage, and hit the Seer, who groaned in pain once again, as her body flashed blue rapidly.

"It's working, keep going," said Phoebe.

_"The Power of Three will set us free,  
The Power of Three will set us free …"_

As the sisters chanted, more beams of energy shot out from the Seer's body, quickly vanquishing any demon they hit. The sheer continued to vanquish each demon, until only the Dark Priest and the Seer remained.

A beam of energy hit the Dark Priest, and he groaned in pain just like the Seer. The ultimate vanquish of the Seer and the Dark Priest caused an almighty explosion of blue light, and shockwaves spread throughout the cavern. All five sisters were unaffected by the shockwaves, thanks to the Power of Three spell and the fact that, to Prue and older Paige, this was nothing more than a memory.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige looked around the deserted cavern.

"Where did everybody go?" said Piper.

She then kicked the cage, and the front fell away. The sisters walked out of the cage, and saw that all that was left of the demons were piles of ashes.

"The blast took everyone out," said Phoebe, "The Seer, the council leaders …"

"Well, I'd say that the scales of good and evil just dramatically tipped in our favour," said Piper.

Paige then looked at the pedestal, upon which sat the unscathed Grimoire.

"Look, there's the Grimoire: still untouched."

"It's time we got rid of that book once and for all," said Phoebe.

The three of them surrounded the pedestal and each out a hand just above the Grimoire. They then held onto each other with their free hands, as they closed their eyes and concentrated hard.

Prue and Paige then watched as they orbed away, taking the Grimoire away with them.

"I still don't understand how that worked," said Paige, "How we managed to take the Grimoire."

"Well, you managed to vanquish a lot of evil: the Source, Cole, the Seer, the demon council," said Prue, "Because of that, you weakened evil's hold on it just enough for you to take it to the Elders, who managed to hide it deep in the Andes."

"Where, hopefully, no-one will ever find it again."

"However, that wasn't the end of your troubles," said Prue, sighing.

"Nope," said Paige, "Just when we vanquished the Source three times, Cole managed to find a way back into our lives."

"Although he did save Phoebe's life, from that FBI agent slash witch-hunter."

"Oh yeah, back when The Angel of Destiny appeared, and gave the chance to give up our powers," said Paige.

"That's right, and, at first, you were the only one who didn't want to …"

"… but after we saved an innocent from the witch-hunter, everything changed," said Paige, as Prue took her hand._

* * *

_

They re-appeared in the hallway of the Halliwell Manor, where they saw Leo pacing up and down. Prue and Paige could hear the sound of roadworks.

Just then, the front door opened, and in walked Piper and Phoebe.

"Where's Paige?" asked Leo.

"Oh, she had to park down the street because the driveway was blocked," said Piper, as she and Phoebe leaned against the back of a couch.

"Well, that's ridiculous. I'll go talk to them and tell them to move."

"Oh no, it's not a big deal," said Phoebe.

"And to think, twenty-four hours ago,_ that_ was our biggest problem," said Piper_._

Phoebe gave a small smile.

"How'd it go?" asked Leo.

"Uh, well, it looks like we got away with everything so far," said Piper.

"Thanks to Selena for testifying for us," said Phoebe.

"What about how Agent Jackman died?" asked Leo.

"They're stumped," said Piper, "They can't figure out how he shot himself from twenty feet away."

"What are they gonna do, subpoena Cole?" said Phoebe, with a little laugh.

"You guys stopped one of their own from killing again," said Leo, "I think they'd be grateful."

"Yeah, one would hope," said Piper, "At least until they find those files on us …"

"They won't," said Leo, and, smiling nervously as Piper and Phoebe looked at him, confused, "I sorta orbed them … into a volcano."

"You what?" said Phoebe, giving another small laugh.

"Uh, excuse me, are you _allowed_ to do that?" said Piper, smiling.

"Well, my job is to protect my charges, and that's all I did," said Leo, smiling back, before they kissed.

"Thanks," said Piper, "Maybe sometime soon, you won't have to protect your charges. Are you OK with that?"

"Whatever you guys decide, I'll support. I mean that."

Just then, the front door opened and Paige walked in. Leo then suddenly froze.

"Uh-oh," said Piper, waving her arm in front of Piper's face.

Paige tried to pull the door shut, but it would not move.

"The door's stuck," she said.

Just then, the five sisters heard a whooshing sound. An older man suddenly appeared in a flash of warm yellow light. He looked like a friendly man, and he wore long blue robes.

"The Angel of Destiny," said older Paige.

"Oh. It's you," groaned younger Paige, walking towards her sisters.

"Well," said the Angel of Destiny, "still ready to retire?"

Paige sadly looked to the floor.

"Actually …" said Phoebe, "I don't think so anymore."

Paige then looked up at Phoebe, and smiled widely. Phoebe smiled back before turning to the Angel.

"We saved someone, and it felt good, it felt right. Besides, I got a little taste of what life would be like without my powers, and I didn't like it, at all!"

Paige laughed happily, pulling Phoebe into a hug. Piper smiled warmly before turning to the Angel.

"What about you?" he asked her.

Phoebe and Paige turned to Piper, as she opened her mouth to answer.

"Majority rules, right?" she said, "Might as well make it unanimous. What can I say: we're masochists."

"We are?" asked Paige.

"Yeah, sometimes," said Piper, smiling as Phoebe laughed, "But Phoebe's right: this isn't a choice we have to make. It's who we are."

"You realise you won't get this opportunity again?" warned the Angel.

"We understand," said Phoebe.

"Very well," he said, smiling, as he made to leave. He then stopped, and looked at Leo.

"By the way, thought you'd like to know," he said, turning to the sisters, "neither decision would have affected yours, and Leo's,_ personal_ destiny."

"What?" asked Piper.

"You'll find out soon …" said the Angel, glancing briefly at Piper's stomach. Phoebe's eyes then grew wide.

"Oh my gosh."

"What?" asked Piper.

"Don't you get it?!?" asked Phoebe excitedly.

"What?" asked Piper again.

The Angel smiled at Phoebe's happiness.

"Don't _you_ get it?!?" Phoebe asked Paige, "She's pregnant!"

"Who's pregnant?" asked Piper, as Phoebe and Paige moved towards her, screaming with delight, "_I'm pregnant_?!?"

Piper's mouth was open in surprise as Paige hugged her, smiling widely. Phoebe hugged Piper around her waist.

"Hi baby!" she said, grinning, to Piper's stomach.

The Angel smiled, as did Prue and Paige, as Phoebe and younger Paige continued to squeal and Piper smiled. The Angel then morphed into a pillar of light, which quickly zoomed out of the house, pulling the door closed behind it.

Leo then unfroze, and was surprised to see the sisters in such high spirits.

"What happened?" asked Leo, "Was I frozen again, and why is everyone so happy? What was your decision?"

The sisters parted, Phoebe fidgeting excitedly, all of them grinning.

"Well," said Piper, trying to be calm, "we decided to keep our powers."

"But that's not all she's keeping," said Paige, giggling.

Leo looked confused, as Piper walked towards him.

"Leo," she said, "I'm pregnant."

Leo's mouth was open in shock, just like Piper's.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive."

Leo's mouth slowly formed into a grin, and then …

"We're having a baby!" he yelled happily, pulling Piper into an embrace. Piper and Leo laughed together, and then they kissed as Phoebe and Paige hugged each other, still smiling.

Polder Paige turned to Prue, and once again, her eyes were full of tears. However, this time they were tears of joy.

"She always wanted kids," she said, "One time, when we travelled to the future, she was even meant to have a daughter."

"Yeah, that didn't exactly work out that way …," said Paige.

They then turned to each other, smiled and hugged each other. They then turned to see Phoebe and Paige rush to Piper and Leo, and they all laughed together as they hugged. They could not wait to welcome the new addition to the family.

_

* * *

__

* * *

_


	8. First Encounters

**__**

First Encounters

Prue and Paige had flashed into the Manor conservatory, and they instantly noticed Piper and Leo in front of them.

"You heard me Leo, I want you to bring Grams back now," said Piper, pacing back and forth.

"OK, I can't do that, she's dead!" said Leo.

"Well, I realise that, thank you very much, Leo! I'm not asking you to resurrect her; I just need her here for a little while, for some advice."

"Then why don't you try conjuring her?" asked Leo, "You did it once before."

"Yeah, OK, but that was a unique situation, OK" said Piper, walking towards Leo, "and besides, I already tried: it didn't work."

Leo looked at his wife, as she stopped in front of him.

"Look, I know this doesn't seem important, but it is to me. I can't do this alone."

"Well, you're not alone," said Leo softly, taking Piper's hands in his own, "I'm here."

"Yeah, I …I know, and it's not your fault, but there's only so much you can do," said Piper, "I'm the one carrying the baby, and I don't wanna screw it up."

"That's ridiculous!"

"No, it's not ridiculous! It is not ridiculous at all, and this is _not_ raging hormones talking!" said Piper, anxiously, "This is a very special baby, with _very_ special needs, and I need someone pretty damn special to help me figure it out, and when I say now, I mean _now_!"

Suddenly, a shimmering light appeared behind Piper and Leo. They turned, and Prue and Paige watched on as the light shone brightly and then faded to reveal Penelope Halliwell, wearing a red long-sleeved top with matching skirt and short black boots. She turned to Piper and Leo, and was wearing a look of shock when she noticed them.

"Piper!"

"Thank you," said Piper softly, turning to Leo before turning back.

"Don't look at me: I didn't do anything," said Leo.

"What am I doing here, and … and …?"

Penny looked at her body, which wasn't ghostly, but solid.

"… corporeal to boot?"

"Well, what do you mean?" asked Piper, "Didn't you come on your own power?"

"Honey, I'm good, but I'm not _that_ good," replied Penny, before smiling to a still shocked Piper, "Well, as long as I'm here, don't I get a hug?"

Piper smiled as they walked towards each other, and hugged. Leo, Prue and Piper watched on, smiling.

"But wait, I still don't understand," said Piper, as they separated, "Who summoned you?"

"The baby?" suggested Leo.

"No … you think?"

"Maybe you tapped into her powers somehow, and made your wish come true," said Leo.

"Oh, you wished for me?" said Penny, smiling warmly, "Why?"

"Because I need help, I need your advice, I need to know how to get ready for this baby," said Piper.

"Oh, well, that's easy!" said Grams kindly, "Now, let's see: have you been exercising your powers daily?"

Piper looked to the side nervously.

"Do I need to?" she asked.

"Well, if you don't want to lose control of them …," said Grams, as Piper looked away nervously again, "Did you perform a ritual to promote growth?"

Piper didn't reply.

"Uh, did you cast a spell to ward off demonic parasites?"

Still, Piper did not reply.

"Sweetheart, what _did_ you do?"

"We built a nursery in our bedroom closet," said Leo.

"_Closet_?" said Grams, "Well, no wonder this baby called me! Come on, we'll start in there, we've got plenty of work to do."

Penny then led the way out of the conservatory. Just then, younger Paige came down the stairs. Unlike the previous memory, however, her hair was now red.

"Oh my goodness," she said, as she noticed Penny, "don't tell me you're already interviewing nannies!"

She giggled, stopping in front of Penny, as she stared at Paige in shock.

"Paige …" gasped Penny softly, "You're even more beautiful than I imagined."

"And you are?" asked a confused Paige.

"Well, I'm your Grams, of course! Oh, come here!"

She pulled Paige into a hug, while Paige still looked a bit confused that this woman she had never met was claiming to be her grandmother, and then hugging her. Prue and older Paige smiled as they watched from beside Piper and Leo.

"Quick, clean up the nursery!" whispered Piper, as Grams and Paige separated. Leo walked past everyone, and ran up the stairs.

"No offence, but, uh …" said Paige, as Penny smiled at her, "aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Oh, I'm over that," said Penny casually, "Look at you! I mean, you're absolutely gorgeous!"

Paige was flattered, and gave a small smile.

"You have my mother's eyes," continued Penny, "Oh; she was a real looker, too! I bet you have plenty of boyfriends, right?"

"Actually not a problem I'm having right now, Mrs. Halliwell," replied Paige, with a smile.

"Oh, please, call me Grams."

Suddenly, the windows of the conservatory door were smashed by a huge axe. Prue and Paige turned, and Piper and Grams walked into the doorway to see a huge huntsman walk through the now destroyed doors. He then raised his axe, and slashed Piper across the arm. Piper fell to the ground, knocking Penny down with her.

The huntsman then turned to Paige, who orbed out just as he swung his axe, which lodged itself into the wall. As Paige orbed back in, the huntsman smacked her across the face, sending her flying through the air. She crashed into the hall table, and lay unconscious on the floor.

"Piper!" yelled Grams, rising to her knees and noticing the cut on her arm. Just then, however, the cut magically healed itself, and Piper and Penny looked at each other in shock.

"The baby …" said Prue softly.

Just then, the huntsman pulled his axe out from the wall, and turned to Piper and Penny. Piper quickly flicked her hands at him, and just as he raised his axe to strike, the huntsman's body exploded, the axe falling to the floor.

"What the hell was that?" said Piper, as Grams sighed in relief. They then both rose to their feet, as Leo came down the stairs.

"What going on?" he asked, and then, noticing Paige, "Paige!"

"Paige?" said Piper, as she and Grams approached her. The three of them helped her to her feet as she slowly awoke.

"Who was that again?" asked older Paige.

"The huntsman, or woodsman, from Snow White," replied Prue, "Don't you remember, the evil witch who trapped the three of you and Grams in fairy tales?"

"Oh yeah," said Paige, "Didn't I end up in a coffin?"

"That's right, Snow White," said Prue, with a small laugh, "Phoebe also got trapped in a pumpkin as Cinderella, and Piper and Grams got eaten by the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood."

"Mm-hmm …" muttered Paige.

"Although, you and Grams did have some bonding time," added Prue, as she waved her arm. The magical television screen appeared before them again, and this time, it showed Paige and Penny in the kitchen. Penny was busy chopping ingredients for a potion, describing what she was doing, while Paige watched.

* * *

"_You must take care to cut the mandrake root to expose the meat, otherwise it doesn't do any good," said Penny, as she walked towards the small pot upon the stove, "and then you simply roll them in mustard seed, but not too heavily. And then …"_

_She dropped the mandrake root into the pot, which then released a puff of smoke and an explosion as the potion within was completed._

"… _goodbye, evil witch."_

"_Wow, I can't believe you did that without looking at the book once," said Paige, smiling._

"_Honey, I wrote the book," replied Penny, with a smile, "All the good potions, anyway! Oh, would you be a dear and get me a vial?"_

"_Oh, yeah, sure," said Paige, walking over to one of the cupboards and taking out a small glass vial. As she turned back to Penny, she saw one of the apples in the fruit bowl glow._

_Penny looked up from the pot, which she was stirring, and saw Paige staring at the fruit bowl._

"_Paige," said Penny, as Paige looked up at her, "The vial."_

"_Oh, sorry," said Paige, as she walked towards Penny._

"_You know, it's a good thing you quit your job," said Penny, "You catch on quickly, and you have a real gift for the Craft."_

"_How do you know I quit my job? How'd you know I even __**had**__ a job?"_

"_Oh, I peek," said Penny, "I mean, you know …"_

_She pointed upwards._

" … _sometimes. Oh, but never during a private moment."_

"_Thanks, I guess …" said Paige, as Penny picked up a turkey baster and began to collect some of the potion._

"_I mean, what choice do I have?" said Grams, as she prepared to squirt some of the potion into the glass vial._

"_OK, no offence, Mrs. Halliwell …"_

"_Grams!" interrupted Penny._

"_OK, that's my point: I already __**had**__ a Grams. One I really, really loved, and … yes, technically, we are related, and you're my grandmother too …I guess I just feel a little odd, because … I don't know you."_

"_I understand," said Penny, "and I wouldn't dream of trying to replace someone as special to you as that."_

_Paige watched as Penny raised the vial, now containing a khaki-green coloured potion, up to the light._

"_But …" she continued, turning to Paige, smiling sadly, " …isn't it possible that … maybe there might be a little room left in your heart for me too? Someday?"_

_Paige's mouth slowly formed into a smile._

"_Well, at least I can see where I get my stubbornness from," she replied, as Grams laughed._

* * *

Prue and Paige smiled at each other.

"And then of course you all got trapped in the fairy tales, but Piper Red Riding Hood saved the day," said Prue, as Paige giggled.

Prue then took her hand, and as the pink-white light that surrounded them faded, they were still in the hall of the Manor. However, it was obvious that time had passed: there was now a large class coffin in the hall, which Paige, Leo and Grams were standing beside.

"Alright, can someone please tell me how I got in a coffin?" asked Paige.

"You were dead, dear," said Penny, casually, as Paige smiled in disbelief, "but bright side: at least we now have something in common."

"You know," said a short man, who walked beside Paige, "you really ought to get yourself a prince, in case this ever happens again."

"Uh, who are you?" asked Paige.

"We'll send you the bill. Let's go, men!"

"Come on, guys, let's go," said another short man, as all seven of them made their way out of the Manor.

Just then, Phoebe and Cole came down the stairs. Phoebe smiled as she saw Paige.

"Paige! You're OK!"

She hugged Paige, who smiled.

"Which means the witch is vanquished," said Cole, "So where's …?"

Just then, swirling light appeared in the hall. Everyone turned to see the light vanish to reveal Piper, who was wearing a pair of red, sparkly, high-heeled shoes.

"Piper," said Leo, smiling.

Piper looked down at her feet, to see the red shoes vanish.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked.

"Well, thanks to you, they are," said Penny, "Well, I suppose that means it's time for me to go."  
She turned to Leo.

"Mind giving me a lift?"

"Well, why do you have to go at all?" asked Piper.

Penny smiled, walking towards Piper.

"Because I don't belong here anymore," she replied, putting her arm on Piper's shoulders, "See, you thought you needed me, but I was only here to remind you that you don't. Not even for her."

"OK, but what about me?" yelled Phoebe, as she ran to Piper and Penny, hugging them both, "I feel like I didn't get to spend any time with you!"

"That's OK," said Penny, "I don't stay dead for long."

"Good point," said Phoebe, as she stepped away. Penny then broke her hug with Piper, and turned around to face Paige.

"Well, do I at least get a hug goodbye?" she asked, smiling.

Paige gave a small smile.

"It was great to finally meet you …" she said, walking towards Penny. She then hugged her.

" … Grams."

Prue smiled, but then for some reason, she frowned. Older Paige looked at Prue, confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked..

"Oh, nothing …" said Prue, with a sigh.

Penny and Paige then separated, and Penny walked towards Leo. She then turned back to her granddaughters, and sighed contentedly.

"Be safe, my darlings," she said softly, as the sisters smiled back at her. Older Paige smiled and Prue also managed a small smile as Leo took Penny's hand and the two of them orbed away.

Prue then turned and walked into the sitting room. Paige followed her.

"Prue, what's the matter?" asked Paige.

"Nothing really …" replied Prue softly, and then, seeing Paige's raised eyebrow as she turned to her, "It's just that … seeing you guys, and Grams, and Leo, and even Cole all together like that … I keep forgetting how sad these memories are …"

"Sad?"

"Well, for me," said Prue, "They just remind me … how much I've missed out on …"

"Well, you _were_ there …" said Paige

"It's not the same though," said Prue, with a sigh, "It's like I said when Cole was vanquished: I wanted to actually _physically_ be there, or at least in spirit, so that Piper and Phoebe could see me … and you too, of course."

Paige smiled, walked to Prue and hugged her again. As Prue returned it, and the tears ran down her face, they flashed away.

* * *

Sam sat on the cold marble floor of the Grand Hall, looking on sadly at his daughter. He placed his hand on hers, which was almost as cold as the floor, and sighed.

"Paige …" he said softly, looking at her ruby red lips, deep brown hair and porcelain face. He sighed again.

"I don't even think you can hear me," he continued, massaging Paige's hand, "but just in case you can … please, please hang on. I know I haven't been there for you, but I'm here now, and I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

A sad smile formed on his face.

"You know, I'm not sure if I've ever said this to you before, but … the things you've done, the people you've helped as a whitelighter and as a Charmed One … I just want you to know that … I am so proud of you, and I am honoured to have you as a daughter."

Because his focus was solely on Paige, Sam did not realize that Phoebe was standing behind him. She had heard everything, and she was smiling warmly.

"I love you so much, Paige, and I just wish that I had made more of an impact in your life. I have cherished every moment I _have_ spent with you though, and I remember the first time we truly met as if it were yesterday …"

* * *

Prue and Paige were now in a back alley. As Prue finished wiping her eyes, Paige noticed that there was a large dumpster bin, as well as several smaller ones (which were overflowing). There was also a wooden door in one of the walls.

"Uhh!"

Prue and Paige turned to see Leo and younger Paige, whom was still a redhead and had just stepped into a puddle.

"If this is where I'm supposed to find my charge, you might have told me not to wear my Jimmy Choos," said Paige.

"Jimmy who?"

"My shoes?" said Paige, then groaning, "Ugh, men!"

Leo and Paige continued walking.

"So, I'm guessing my 'wealthy philanthropist' theory was wrong."

"I told you," said Leo, "he is a lost soul in need of saving."

"Yeah, this definitely looks like a place where lost souls would hang out," said Paige, looking around, "Probably also some rats, some roaches and human waste."

She let out a disgusted groan again.

"At least my cover will work."

"Cover?" asked Leo.

"Social worker," explained Paige, as Leo looked at her, "Well, I have to tell Samuel something."  
"Sam ..." said older Paige softly.

"Well, in this case, I don't think you're going to need a cover," said Leo.

"In this case?" asked younger Paige.

"Well, every case is different."

"Piper's right: you _are_ being evasive," said Paige, smiling slightly. Just then, she stopped, and Leo did as well.

"I feel something. I think he's close."

"You're sensing him?" asked Leo.

"No, it's more like a magnetic pull," said Paige.

Leo and Paige continued walking until they were directly in front of Prue and older Paige. Just then, the wooden door opened.

"And stay out!" yelled a bartender, as he threw a drunken man through the doorway onto the alley floor. He then slammed the door shut.

"Good luck," said Leo.

"Where are you going?" asked Paige.

"Nanny interviews," answered Leo, and then he orbed away. Paige looked down at the drunken man just as he vomited over her Jimmy Choos.

"Aw, great, this is just great ..." she muttered, looking disgusted.

She stepped away from the man, and took a handkerchief from her pocket, carefully wiping her shoes. She then helped the man to his feet, and supported him as they made their way out of the alley.

"Not a great first impression, huh?" said Prue.

"Yeah, he was very reluctant," said older Paige, "He wouldn't let me help him."

"And then you found out who he really was ..."

Prue waved her arm, to summon the magical screen. Again, Prue and Paige could see the kitchen of the Manor, but this time, Phoebe was with Paige. Phoebe was mixing a potion in the small cauldron.

* * *

"_So, you don't know him at all?" asked Paige._

"_You know, we run into a lot of people in our line of work," said Phoebe, taking the spatula she was using out of the cauldron._

"_OK, once again – not an answer."_

"_Could you pass me the cardamom, please?" asked Phoebe._

_Paige handed her the glass bowl of cardamom. Phoebe hummed nervously as she added some to the potion._

"_OK, I'm just going to take a guess now," said Paige, "Let's see: maybe the Elders gave him to me, because he's a lost cause that they couldn't pawn off on anyone else."_

_Phoebe looked up from the cauldron to Paige, narrowing her eyes._

"_Toad flax," she said._

_Paige picked up another glass bowl, and held it as Phoebe picked some toad flax from it._

"_Just tell me if I'm hot or cold!" asked Paige loudly as Phoebe added it to the potion._

"_Um ..." said Phoebe, thinking carefully, and then turning to Paige, "OK, maybe the Elders thought you would actually learn something from working with him."_

"_Like what: how to give up?"_

"_No, I think you pretty much got that down," said Phoebe, glancing at Paige._

"_OK, passive-aggressive, what does that mean?" asked Paige, leering._

"_C'mon, Paige," sighed Phoebe, turning back to Paige, "You know you're pretty quick to judge people."_

"_Like who?!?" asked Paige, offended._

"_Trevor?"_

"_OK, Trevor is an orange," said Paige, as Phoebe turned back to her potion "My charge would be an apple. I fail to see the connection."_

"_OK, take my word for it – you need to give Samuel another chance. It's important, for you both."_

"_OK, enough with the cryptic," said Paige, "Tell me what you know, and please, don't change the subject."_

_Phoebe stopped stirring for the final time, and turned back to Paige._

"_OK," she said, "You really want to know?"_

"_Yeah!" said Paige._

_Phoebe took a deep breath, as Paige watched on._

"_Sam was ..."_

_Paige stared back at Phoebe, as she prepared herself._

" _... Mum's whitelighter."_

_Paige looked confused._

"_That would make him ..."_

"_... your biological father," finished Phoebe.  
Paige scoffed._

"_Honey, are you OK?"_

"_Great, I'm just great!" said Paige sarcastically._

* * *

"No-one could blame you," said Prue, as the screen vanished, "I mean, you didn't even know who he was."

"Yeah ..." said Paige, with a sigh.

"But he did come through for you when you needed him the most ..." said Prue, as she took Paige's hand and they vanished again.

They re-appeared in the conservatory of the Manor. The indigo sky outside told them it was night. They could see younger Paige lying on a wicker chair, and Leo lying on the floor, a bandage on his upper arm. They were both quite pale and weak, and Paige was shaking.

"Darklighters ..." said Paige softly.

Phoebe, who was sitting beside younger Paige, then covered her with a blanket.

"He'll be here soon," she said soothingly, "He will, just hang on ..."

Just then, Piper and Samuel Wilder orbed in behind Phoebe. Almost immediately, Sam spotted Paige and ran towards her, kneeling by her side. He then raised his hands over Paige, and tried to heal her. It didn't work.

"What's the problem?" asked Phoebe.

"I can't," replied Sam.

"What?" said Piper loudly, "Try again."

"It's no use. This is my punishment."

"No, you will not just sit there and drown in self pity while Paige and my husband die!" yelled Piper.

"Don't you think I want to save them?" said Sam loudly, "For goodness sake, this is my daughter!"

He looked mournfully at Paige, who looked back.

"You can't heal her because you gave up," said Phoebe.

"Everything I touch, I hurt," said Sam sadly, "All I wanted was a life for her free from magic and demons."

"No, it was not," said Piper, "Paige saved us. She is the reason I am still standing here, she brought this family back together."

Older Paige smiled slightly.

"She has done so much good," said Phoebe, "All the pain and anger you've been hanging onto for so many years, you have to let it go."

Sam looked down at his daughter, and realised, at that moment, that Phoebe was right. He had to move on, for Paige's sake.

"Paige, I am so sorry," he said.

"It's OK," whispered Paige.

Paige then placed her hand upon Sam's. Instantly, his body began to glow in blue orbs. Once the orbs had cleared, he was cleaner than before, and his shaggy beard was gone.

"What happened?"

"I think you just healed yourself," said Phoebe, smiling, "Now Paige."

Sam put his hands over Paige again. This time, the familiar warm yellow light shone from his hands onto the wound left by the darklighter arrow. Moments later, the wound was gone and Paige took a deep breath. She looked at Sam.

"Thank you," she said, and Sam smiled at her.

"OK, thanks later, Leo now," said Piper.

Sam rose to his feet, and made his way to Leo. He removed the bandage form Leo's arm, and healed him.

"Piper, are you OK?" asked Leo, "The baby."

"Oh, she's fine," replied Piper, with a smile, "I don't think we have to worry about her at all."

Leo looked confused.

"I'll explain later," said Piper, smiling.

"I'm gonna go get started on those potions," said Phoebe, "We have a Cole to vanquish."

She rose to her feet and walked out of the conservatory.

"Oh, that's right," said Paige, "All this happened because Cole made a new darklighter friend."

"Yeah," said Prue, "We'll come back to him in a minute, though, because I know you'll love this next memory."

The sisters vanished, and re-appeared in the Manor hallway. It was clearly now day, as sunlight was shining through the stained-glass windows of the front doors.

"So, what are you going to do now? I mean, about Cole."

Prue and Paige followed the sound of Sam's voice into the sitting room. There, they saw Sam sitting in an armchair. He was talking to younger Paige, who was sitting on the couch.

"I don't know," replied younger Paige, "it's a little scary being that he's basically indestructible now."

"Well, I'm sure you girls will handle it," said Sam, smiling. Paige returned the smile, and then there was a small silence.

"Paige, I want you to know that giving you up was the hardest decision I ever had to make. Your mother too. If we could've done it over, we wouldn't have done it. But we weren't supposed to be together. A baby ... we were afraid the Elders would find out ..."

"It's OK," said Paige, "I understand – really, I do."

"It still has to hurt you," said Sam.

Paige sighed.

"I used to think that you didn't matter to me at all," she said, "If I never met you, my life would be perfectly fine. I guess, uh, the Elders knew better after all."

Sam smiled, as Paige continued.

"When you gave me up, you made a choice that gave me the most amazing gift. See, I got to have these tremendous parents and we ... we loved each other fiercely. And now I have this whole life with my sisters."

"What about everything that goes with it?" asked Sam.

"I choose to be a witch," said Paige, "I could've walked away, but I didn't. And now I'm a whitelighter to boot!"

"That's my girl," said Sam softly, smiling. Again, Paige returned the smile to her father.

"I know you two still have your differences," said Prue, "But, you know, I'm sure that he would love to be there for you. All you have to do is let him."

She then turned to Paige, and saw that she was staring at Sam.

"Paige?"

"Huh, what?" asked Paige, quickly turning to Prue.

"Did you hear me?"

"Oh, yeah, I did," said Paige, "You're probably right; I should give him a chance."

"Yeah, you should," said Prue, "especially since I know that you want to be with him just as much as he wants to be with you."

Prue smiled, and Paige smiled embarrassedly back. They then vanished once again.


	9. The Return of Cole

Sorry that it has taken me SO long to update this story. Life, writer's block and a two-week holiday in Turkey got in the way lol :P

Anyway this chapter focuses on Cole's return in Season 5, and there is some strong language in this chapter.

* * *

**The Return of Cole**

Phoebe continued to watch Sam as he kept vigil over his daughter. To hear Sam recall meeting his grown-up daughter as if it were yesterday was so heart-warming, especially considering that, last time they had met, Paige was not exactly happy to see him. However, they did manage to begin to form a relationship, and judging by Sam's heartfelt speech, he wanted that relationship to evolve into more of a solid father-daughter one. However, Phoebe also seemed to feel Sam's sincerity, his love for Paige. This gift of empathy is something that Phoebe had embraced and honed in recent years, although, for some reason, Phoebe seemed to be more in tune with Sam's emotions than she usually was...

Just then, Sam sighed sadly. At almost the same time, Phoebe let out a small sob and quickly turned to wipe her eyes. Sam then turned around, and gasped in surprise.

"Phoebe!" he said loudly, clearing his throat and rising to his feet, "H-hey, what's up?"

"Hmm?" said Phoebe softly, turning to him, as he made his way towards her.

"Hey, have you been crying?" asked Sam, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," said Phoebe, wiping her eyes, "I ... um ... I just heard you talking to Paige."

"You heard everything?" asked Sam, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"It was very sweet," said Phoebe, smiling.

Sam gave a small smile, and then turned back to Paige. Phoebe stared at Sam for a moment, and then grasped his arm.

"Don't worry," she said, "She is coming back."

Sam then put his hand on Phoebe's, and grasped it in reply.

"I just want to prove to her that I can be there for her, like I was on that day," he said.

"Well, when she comes back, you can be," said Phoebe.

Sam nodded slightly.

"You saved her life, Sam, and I doubt she ever forgot that. I know she loves you, even if she doesn't show it."

"Yeah ..." said Sam softly, still looking at Paige.

The two of them stood in silence for a few moments, keeping watch over Paige as she slept.

"Hey, whatever did happen to that Cole character?"

Phoebe looked up at Sam. She was completely taken by surprise by this statement.

"Why do you ask?" asked Phoebe.

"Well, it's just that he was the one who sent the darklighter, and I know that you guys tried to vanquish him ..."

"... but he was invincible," finished Phoebe, with a sigh.

"Yeah, so ... what did happen?" asked Sam.

"Well, uh, he created a whole new reality, one in which Paige didn't become a Charmed One. However, our Paige managed to orb into it, and then alternate me vanquished him once and  
for all, because he wasn't invincible in the other reality."

"I see ..." said Sam, looking confused, "You know: I still don't understand ... I mean, Paige told me that you guys banished him to the demonic wasteland, so how did he come back? And how did he get so powerful?"

"Well, it's a long story ..." said Phoebe, with a small laugh.

"Well, we have time while we wait for news from the Elders ... unless of course you'd rather not talk about it ..."

Phoebe turned to Paige for a moment, and then back to Sam.

"No, it's OK," said Phoebe softly, "Come on, let's get a seat."

Phoebe led Sam to a couple of the throne-like chairs, and they both took a seat.

"OK," said Phoebe, breathing deeply, "Well, I guess the story starts when I had an appointment with the divorce court ..."

_

* * *

_

Phoebe and Darryl Morris were sitting in a judge's office. Phoebe was trying to divorce from Cole, but seeing as he was absent, she had to convince the judge that she had tried to contact him.

"I sent a sheriff to his apartment, his work, even his dry-cleaners," pleaded Phoebe, with a small smile, "Trust me, Your Honour, I didn't make a good faith effort to try to notify my husband of our divorce – I made a great faith effort!"

"But to grant a default divorce, the court requires that you put a notice in the local newspaper saying where the missing spouse was last residing," explained the judge, "Did you do that?"

Phoebe reached for her handbag, and began to rummage through it.

"I made the notice larger than legally required," she said, pulling a portion of a newspaper out of her bag, "I even used a twelve point bold font to make sure it really pops. You see there, how it really ... pops?"

She handed the newspaper to the judge, who read the notice for a few moments. He then looked up at Darryl.

"What is your business here, Inspector?"

"I led the investigation into the disappearance of Mr Cole Turner," said Darryl, "We used every method at our disposal to locate his whereabouts, and we still came up empty. It's my belief that Mr Turner's left the country."

"I must say, young lady," said the judge, smiling slightly, "in all my years on the bench, I have never seen a divorce pushed through this fast."

He signed the divorce form, and handed it and a pen to Phoebe.

"Please sign here."

"Ooh!" said Phoebe excitedly, looking at Darryl before picking up the pen, "Free at last!"

"Is this the right office?"

Phoebe was just about to sign the form when she stopped. She turned to the office door, hoping that the voice did not belong to whom she thought it did.

Unfortunately, as the door opened, Phoebe's worst nightmare walked in.

"Cole Turner, Your Honour."

He walked into the office, holding a newspaper in his hand.

"Nice ad," he said, smiling at Phoebe, "Thanks for letting me know."

Phoebe stared at Cole in disbelief. She then rose to her feet and stormed out of the office. Prue and Paige sighed as Phoebe passed them, and they followed Cole as he followed her.

"You evil bastard, why didn't you just stay where you belonged?!?" said Phoebe angrily.

"Exactly what I was thinking," said Paige, arms crossed.

"Wait a minute: I'm not evil," said Cole, as Phoebe turned to him.

Just then, Darryl walked out of the office.

"Do you have any idea what you just did to me in there?" he said to Cole angrily.

"Hold on," Cole said to Darryl, and then turning to Phoebe, "I'm not evil, I'm good."

"You're good at crushing my every hope and dream!"

"Well, I'm going to make up for that ..."

"You just made me look like a fool in front of the judge!" said Darryl.

"You are like a pit-bull with a death grip!" said Phoebe angrily.

"You know, I should arrest you on principle!"

Cole then waved his arm in front of Darryl, who suddenly transformed into a water-cooler. The water_ bubbled as Phoebe stared in shock._

"Oh my gosh!" gasped Paige.

"Yep!" said Prue, nodding her head.

"Too many people talking at once," said Cole casually.

"You see, Cole," said Phoebe, "this is exactly what I'm talking about – uh, good people don't turn other people into water coolers!"

"I needed you to hear me," said Cole.

"Go to hell!"

"I was just there," said Cole, "I didn't mean to stay so long, but I needed to gather enough powers to execute ..."

"Execute who?" asked Phoebe quickly, "Huh? Execute who?"

"My plan," replied Cole, "I'm here to redeem myself."

"You'd better be careful," said Phoebe, walking away from Cole, "You are stepping down a very dangerous road right now."

"I'm already on it. I got my job back at the law firm, I'm gonna use my powers to help people ..."

Just then, the water cooler bubbled again. Cole, who was now leaning against it, turned briefly to it before continuing.

"Make up for my past. In time, you'll see we're meant to be together."

"Cole, if you say that again, I swear I'll scream!"

Phoebe was now staring angrily at Cole.

"I want you out of my life!" she said.

"I'll keep my distance," said Cole, "but I'm not going away. My love for you hasn't changed."

He made his way towards Phoebe, as she turned his back to him.

"It kept me alive in the wasteland, and led me back to you."

Phoebe quickly picked up a small letter-opener from the desk in front of her, and pointed it at Cole. He looked at it, and then into Phoebe's eyes.

"You won't use that," he said, "I know you still love me, on some level, deep inside."

He grabbed the blade of the knife. Phoebe then pulled the knife free, slashing Cole's palm. A few drops of his blood dripped onto some envelops in an in-tray on the desk.

"You are seriously mistaken if you think I still love you in any way!" whispered Phoebe.

"I wasn't expecting a warm welcome, but don't you think this is a little extreme?"

Cole turned to his elevated hand, and watched the wound left by the knife magically heal itself. Phoebe looked surprised, and she then gasped as she saw the drops of blood boil.

"Wait ..." said Cole, smiling embarrassedly as Phoebe started at him in shock.

"You stay away from me, whatever you are!" she yelled. She then ran off.

Cole sighed softly, before waving his arm towards the water-cooler. It transformed back into Darryl.

"What happened?" he asked, and then sighing, "Where's Phoebe?"

"She ran off," replied Cole.

"You're lucky that's all she did," said Darryl, as he walked past Cole. Cole sighed sadly, before he shimmered away.

"Aw, I almost feel sorry for him," said Paige, "It's just a shame he tried to, you know, kill me!"

"Yeah," said Prue, "but remember: he did save Phoebe when she turned into a mermaid ..."

The two sisters then vanished, re-appearing on a beach. There were large jagged rocks scattered over the coast, and the waves of the sea crashed against the shore. A soft wind blew across the coast, and even Prue and Paige felt the coolness.

"Over there," said Prue loudly, pointing over to a group of the jagged rocks in the distance. Paige turned, and there she saw Cole standing by the rocks, his arms stretched outwards.

"Wait, I think I remember what he's doing," said Paige, as she and Prue walked towards Cole.

Just as they reached him, there was a flash of red light upon the rocks. A moment later, it had cleared and Phoebe was lying upon the rocks, in front of Cole. However, she had a golden, scaly mermaid's tail instead of legs, golden scales covered her breasts and her hair was tied into a bun.

"How did I get here?" she said, looking around the beach. She then noticed Cole, who lowered his arms and opened his eyes to look down at her.

"I brought you here."

"This isn't happening," said Phoebe, shaking her head, "This can't be happening. This goes beyond stalking!"

"I'm not stalking you," said Cole, with a small shake of the head, "Paige sent me."

"You showed him how much Phoebe really loved him, remember?" said Prue.

"Yeah," said Paige, "I cast a spell, to show him Phoebe's true desires, and he was literally in tears."

Paige gave a small smile, and then she and Prue turned back to see Cole now kneeling beside Phoebe.

"I know why you ran, Phoebe," he said.

"You don't know anything about me," said Phoebe.

"You thought you could escape into this big ocean ... that the waves would wash away your pain. But they won't, until you admit what drove you here in the first place."

"I know what drove me here," said Phoebe, "You."

"Yeah, but why?" asked Cole, "And don't say because you're scared of me, because you're not."

Phoebe averted her eyes from Cole's, staring at the sand.

"Come on, you don't want to spend eternity alone, just to avoid the truth," continued Cole, "If not for me, be honest for your own sake. Don't lose yourself because of me."

"What do you want me to say?" asked Phoebe, looking back at Cole.

"You don't have to say anything. All you have to do to free yourself is admit how you truly feel about me ... in your heart."

Phoebe stared at Cole for a few moments in silence. She then sighed, and looked down her body, which suddenly began to flash golden. As it did, her tail slowly began to change back into legs, and the scales upon her breasts vanished. As the flashes faded, Paige looked away from Phoebe's naked body. Prue saw this, and rolled her eyes, smiling.

Meanwhile, Cole had risen to his feet and was now holding out his hand to Phoebe. She put her hand in his, and he pulled her to her feet. He then took off his black jacket.

"How could you be so sure?" asked Phoebe, as Cole draped the jacket over her shoulders.

"I had a feeling," answered Cole, as Phoebe pulled the jacket around her. She smelt the fabric, and then looked up at Cole, smiling.

"It's alright, Paige, you can look now," said Prue, smiling.

Paige turned back around, and was relieved to see that Phoebe was covered.

"I do love you," said Phoebe, "and I always will."

Cole gave a small smile.

"But it doesn't change anything," continued Phoebe, with a sigh, "It doesn't matter. It's over between us."

The two of them looked sadly at one another. Prue sighed sadly.

"It's a shame, really," she said, "Before we found out he was a demon, and before I had my suspicions, they were actually quite a nice couple."

"They certainly did love each other," said Paige.

"Yeah, but unfortunately Cole's inner demon was too strong."

As Leo, Piper and a still red-headed Paige orbed in beside Phoebe and Cole, Prue summoned the magical screen. It showed Phoebe in her office at the Bay Mirror, shuffling through some of the letters sent to her advice column.

* * *

_There was a knock on the door. Phoebe turned to see Cole enter her office through the open door._

_"Hey," she said, smiling and walking towards him, "Look who's back to using doors."_

_"Yeah," said Cole, "I'm, uh, trying to limit my use of powers."_

_"Probably a wise decision."_

_Cole nodded, and then Phoebe resumed looking through the letters in her hands._

_"So, uh, did you get my flowers?" asked Cole._

_"Yup," said Phoebe, as she sighed and looked back up at Cole, "Sorry I tried to strangle you? Probably not a card that the florist gets to write every day, huh?"_

_She then went back to scanning the letters._

_"I didn't ..."_

_"I know," said Phoebe, again sighing and looking up at Cole, "I know you're sorry. I know you were under the Siren's spell."_

_"You do know her magic feeds on love?" _

_"Cole ..."_

_"She couldn't have lured us if we didn't love each other," said Cole._

_"Right," said Phoebe, "So, once again, our love was nearly fatal."_

_"I never would have hurt you if I wasn't under her spell."_

_"Most men don't try to kill their wives when they're under the Siren's spell," said Phoebe, "Most men just kiss and die. But because you're a demon ..."_

_"I'm not ..."_

_"Ok, well, because you have demonic powers, and a lot of them, you became a bigger threat than the Siren," said Phoebe, "And that's only one way out of a thousand that your powers can turn against me."_

_Cole stared at Phoebe sadly and Phoebe returned the look._

_"I guess I didn't want you to be right," he said softly._

_Phoebe looked at Cole and a small sad smile formed on her face._

_"Neither did I."_

_

* * *

_

"And do you remember the first time you fought Barbas?" asked Prue, "When he stole Cole's powers?"

She waved her arm over the screen, and now they could see the attic of the Manor. Piper was making a potion and Leo was healing Paige as Phoebe and Cole watched.

_

* * *

_

_Paige gasped as she awoke. Leo then made his way over to Piper as Phoebe hugged Paige, smiling widely._

_"Paige, you're OK, thank goodness," she said._

_"What happened?" asked Paige._

_"Good thing we were already trying to orb in when the barrier came down, otherwise ..."_

_Leo stopped as he and Piper turned to Phoebe and Paige._

_"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Phoebe said loudly._

_"Uh, you're suffocating me!" said Paige._

_"Oh, I'm sorry!"_

_Phoebe helped Paige to her feet, and then hugged her again, as Piper smiled warmly._

_"Um, well I hate to break this up," said a bearded Cole, "but Barbas will be back soon."_

_Everyone turned to face Cole, and Phoebe stopped smiling._

_"Well, I'm ready," said Piper._

_"Are you?" Leo asked Cole._

_"To take evil back? No," replied Cole, "but I'm not doing it for me..."_

_Phoebe separated from Paige, and walked over to Cole. The others looked on sadly._

_Suddenly, a grey-haired demon appeared in the centre of the group in a flash of white light. As he did, he sent shockwaves throughout the attic, sending the five of them to the floor. The vial containing the potion fell to the floor and smashed._

_"Miss me, my babies?" grinned Barbas, as the others rose to their feet._

_Piper then flicked her hands at Barbas, but the blast was absorbed by his hand._

_"Whoa," said Barbas, blowing the resulting smoke from his hand, "I'm a very quick study!"_

_"What do we do?" yelled Paige._

_"Ah, still alive, I see," Barbas said, grinning evilly, turning to Paige._

_"You leave her alone!" yelled Phoebe._

_The others began to make their way towards him, but Barbas raised his arms and conjured force-fields in front of Phoebe, Cole, Piper and Leo._

_"Naughty, naughty, naughty – wait your turn!" said Barbas mockingly._

_"Paige, orb the potion," yelled Phoebe._

_"It's in a puddle," said Paige, looking down at the blue potion._

_"You can do it," said Piper, "Prue did."_

_"Aye, there's the rub," said Barbas. He then turned to Paige._

_"You're no Prue, are you?"_

_Paige leered at him and Barbas grinned. As he turned away, Paige quickly yelled "Potion!", and orbed the potion onto Barbas' chest. Barbas groaned as the liquid hit him and he fell to his knees. The force-fields disappeared as Barbas then fell onto his side. Cole walked towards Barbas as a black entity rose up from him. It then flew into Cole's body, and Cole groaned as it did. The sisters and Leo looked at him sympathetically._

_Barbas then rose to his feet, and tried to summon an energy ball. However, nothing happened. Cole then summoned an energy ball._

_"Looking for this?" he said, as Barbas looked at him in shock._

_Cole then threw the energy ball at Barbas, who gasped as his body flashed blue and white. He then screamed and roared in agony as the energy surged through his body, before he was destroyed in a flash of fire._

_Phoebe then looked at Cole with fear in her eyes. She then walked towards Paige, and they hugged each other. Cole turned from them to Piper and Leo and back again, frowning. Although Piper, Leo and Phoebe looked at him in fear, Paige wore a look of sympathy. Cole then sighed sadly before he shimmered away._

_

* * *

_

_"_You looked as if you felt sorry for him," said Prue.

"Yeah, I did," said Paige, with a sigh, "He just ... without his powers, he finally had a chance to be good. And then he had to go evil again ..."

"This of course led to him going insane ..."

"... and sending the darklighter on us," said Paige.

"And then you tried to vanquish him," said Prue, "However, as you'll remember, it didn't go quite to plan ..."

By now, Phoebe had orbed away with her sisters and Leo, and Cole had shimmered away. Prue waved her arm again, and the screen now showed Cole's penthouse. Cole was sitting at a table, writing a note to Phoebe.

_

* * *

_

_He finished the letter and put it in an envelope. Just then, two tall men in black robes flashed in._

_"If this doesn't work," said the grey-haired man, "you'll have nowhere else to turn."_

_"It'll work," said Cole, not turning back._

_"But what a waste," said the second man, "Especially when you could have so much more."_

_"I don't want anymore ..."_

_"You're not even curious?" asked the grey-haired man, smiling mysteriously._

_When Cole did not respond, the men flashed away. Cole then placed the envelope in front of a picture of him and Phoebe. He gazed at the photo, smiling slightly._

_Just then, Phoebe, Piper and Paige orbed in behind him, each of them holding a potion vial. Cole sat up straight and sighed deeply._

_"Stand up!" said Phoebe loudly. Cole remained seated, looking at his wedding ring._

_"I said stand up!"_

_Cole took off his wedding ring, and put it on the table. He then rose to his feet, walked in front of the balcony doors and faced them._

_"Come to vanquish me, have you?" he said._

_"Where's your hit man?" asked Piper._

_"Oh, you know those darklighters – they're just so difficult to work with. Can't even kill a lousy whitelighter, let alone you."_

_"But you could have," said Phoebe._

_Cole smirked at them._

_"You son of a bitch," said Paige, as she threw her potion at Cole's feet. As the vial smashed, smoke rose from the ground._

_Piper then threw her potion, and there was a small explosion as her vial hit the floor. She then turned to Phoebe, who had not thrown hers._

_"Phoebe, come on," she said._

_Phoebe looked at the letter and the photo of her and Cole. She then turned to Cole, and she suddenly realised something._

_"I know what you're doing."_

_"Phoebe, throw the potion!" said Paige._

_"You never really wanted to kill us, did you?" said Phoebe._

_"What are you talking about?" asked Paige._

_"He could have killed you back at the manor, he had you alone," Phoebe explained to Paige, and then, turning to Cole, "but you needed all of us to survive for your plan to work. Including Sam."_

_"Phoebe, have you lost your mind?" said Piper._

_"No, you said it yourself – it wasn't a smart plan. Unless you didn't really want to kill us. You wanted us to be so blinded by hate that we couldn't see what you were really up to."_

_Cole shrugged, smirking._

_"Well, it's the only way out for me ...and you want it too, so ..."_

_"Yeah, but on our terms, not yours," said Phoebe, "We won't help you commit suicide."_

_"You already have."_

_Phoebe stared at Cole, confused. Cole then suddenly stretched his arm out and pulled back, magically pulling the potion from Phoebe's hand. As the vial smashed at his feet, he was consumed by an almighty explosion of fire. The blast knocked the sisters to the ground, as the balcony doors were blown open, their windows shattered._

_Phoebe was the first to rise to her feet, and as she looked at the site of the explosion, her eyes grew wide in shock._

_"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, as Piper and Paige rose to their feet._

_There stood Cole, gasping for breath, but unharmed. He looked around, looking just as shocked as Phoebe._

_"I don't understand, that should have worked," said Paige loudly._

_"Why didn't it?" said Piper._

_Cole continued to gasp for breath._

_"They knew it wouldn't work," he gasped._

_"Who knew?" asked Phoebe, "What are you talking about?"_

_"You can't vanquish me! Nobody can!"_

_

* * *

_

The screen then vanished, and Prue turned to a shocked Paige.

"Wait a minute, Cole was visited by the Avatars?" she gasped.

"As you can probably guess, they knew how powerful he was, and wanted to make him an Avatar," explained Prue.

"And ... did they?"

Prue sighed.

"We'll come back to that," she said, "For now, let's pay a visit to another invincible being ..."

_

* * *

_

He appeared in the Manor attic in a shimmering golden light. The dirty-bearded man looked around, and the first thing that caught his attention was Piper, staring at him.

"Well, I guess I should have seen this coming."

"I want my sisters back now, Cole," said Piper.

"Or what?" asked Cole, "You got nothing, Piper. You can't even vanquish me."

Piper flicked her hand at Cole, who staggered as a small explosion hit his chest.

"Doesn't mean I won't try," said Piper, with a smile.

"OK, if that's the way you want to play it ..."

Cole then threw an energy ball at Piper, but a force-field from her stomach blocked it. Piper also staggered as the energy ball split in two, colliding with odd objects around the attic.

"Ah!" cried Cole, smiling widely, "Impressive!"

"Wait ...," smirked Piper, before flicking both her hands at Cole. This time, the explosion knocked Cole off his feet, and as he hit the floor, he slid into some old wooden furniture.

He struggled up to his knees, and looked up at Piper, who continued to stare at him. He laughed madly.

"Well, looks like things just got interesting ..." he said, before throwing another energy ball.

Piper ducked, and the energy ball destroyed a wooden cabinet on contact. She then retaliated, flicking her hands at Cole, who had risen to his feet. He jumped out the way, and the small window in the wall shattered.

The battle continued, as Cole and Piper took shots at each other, never harming the other. The attic, however suffered great damage: wooden furniture, family ornaments and numerous boxes were destroyed by energy and fire.

"At this rate, they'll tear the attic apart!" cried Paige, as she and Prue stepped back from the battle.

"Don't worry, Paige, it won't get that far!" yelled Prue.

Just then, Cole threw another energy ball, and as the force-field deflected it, Piper was knocked back into a chaise sofa, as the energy ball shattered the roof light. Piper then flicked her hands, and sent Cole flying through the air, and he landed in a pile of boxes.

"Hey!" yelled Leo suddenly, as he entered the attic, "What are you guys doing?!?"

Piper and Cole began to rise to their feet.

"You're both invincible! This is just pointless!"

Cole coughed as he settled himself into a wooden chair.

"Man's got a point, Piper," he said, "The sooner we stop this, the sooner you can save one of your sisters."

"What do you mean one?" said Piper, as Leo turned to her.

"I mean that you're gonna have to choose between them, and if you don't, they'll both die."

Paige shook her head, and Prue leered at Cole.

"Why?" asked Leo, "Are you gonna kill them?"

"No, I'm not going to do anything," replied Cole, "The cards have already been dealt. I'm just giving you guys your options."

"You're delusional if you think that I'm going to choose between my sisters," said Piper.

Cole smiled madly as he rose to his feet, staring at Piper.

"Am I? Isis is the only one that knows how to revive Phoebe, and she's not going to do that unless you cast a spell to eject Paige's spirit from her body."

"I won't do that – Paige would die," said Piper, as Paige smiled lovingly at her.

"Fine ... then eject Isis's spirit instead," shrugged Cole, "But, of course, you'd be saving Paige and killing Phoebe, because without Isis ... there's no way to revive her."

"What about Jeric?" asked Leo, "He mummifies, can't he de-mummify?"

"He traps spirits," said Cole, walking towards Leo, "He doesn't bring bodies back to life – that's Isis's job!"

He then walked away from Leo, talking again to Piper.

"So, of course as you can see, you ... have to make a choice!"

"You sick bastard," said Piper softly but angrily, "I can't choose, and I won't!"

"Oh, well ... then they'll both die ..." said Cole, shrugging. Piper stared angrily at him, and then looked at Leo as he spoke.

"Come on, you're not going to kill Phoebe."

"That is why I am banking on your lovely wife choosing to save her," grinned Cole, looking at Leo.

He then laughed nervously, before turning to Piper.

"I mean, c'mon, after all, she's like your what? Half-sister? You didn't grow up with her or anything; you've only known her for like a year and a half, right? So compared to Phoebe, she's like ... a stranger."

"She is still my sister, and I will find another way," insisted Piper, turning away from Cole.

"There is no other way," said Cole, "and if you waste time looking for one, they'll both die."

Everyone in the attic stared at Piper. Except for Cole, everyone wore a sad look, and Paige even had tears in her eyes. The fact that Piper cared for her just as much as she did for Phoebe left Paige breathless with emotion. Prue appeared to notice this, as she placed her arm over Paige's shoulders.

Piper then slowly turned to Cole, and stared back at him.

"How can you be so evil?"

"Hmm ... it's a gift," shrugged Cole.

"Get out!" said Piper softly, who was now close to tears, "Get out now!"

"OK," said Cole, stepping back, "but when you've made a decision, you call me, OK?"

Piper shook her head, leering at Cole.

"Paige, Phoebe, Phoebe, Paige, Phoeb, pheb, bib, bib, bib ... call me, OK?"

He grinned madly once again, before he walked out of the attic and shimmered away. Leo turned to Piper, and both of them sighed sadly.

"Piper ..."

Piper walked past Leo, and out of the attic without a word. Leo watched her leave, and then he walked to the Book of Shadows and began to flick through the pages.

"She never told us about this ..." said Paige softly, "I had no idea ..."

"You shouldn't be so surprised," said Prue, with a small smile, "You helped keep this family together after I died, and Piper especially never forgot that. Besides that, Piper has always had the biggest heart in this family, and there was always room for you."

Paige smiled at Prue, and Prue pulled Paige towards her in a one-armed hug.

"I don't know what I would have done if I was Piper," said Paige, with a sigh as she wiped her eyes, "How do you choose between your sisters?"

"Well, as I recall, she didn't actually have to choose ..." said Prue.

"Yep, she ejected Isis's spirit from my body, and then, thanks to Isis, I knew the spell needed to revive Phoebe."

"And then Piper vanquished Jeric ..."

"... which just left Cole..." said Paige.

Prue nodded in agreement.

"Hey, speaking of which, did Cole actually become an Avatar?" asked Paige.

"Yes, yes he did," said Prue, as Paige's eyes grew wide, "That's how he gained the power to alter reality."

"His final plan to win Phoebe back: change reality so that I never became a Charmed One," said Paige, sighing.

"He thought that if you never became Charmed, he could win Phoebe back. Unfortunately for him, though, Phoebe still would not love him the way he loved her."

"And, of course, there was the small matter of me entering this reality, and gaining the trust of Piper and Leo ..."

"... which led to you making the vanquishing potion for Belthazor, as that was the identity Cole took in that reality," said Prue, "He sacrificed his invincibility and wide array of demonic powers in creating the new reality."

"And then came the final showdown ..." said Paige, as Prue took her hand and they disappeared from the attic.

* * *

They re-appeared at the foot of the long staircase in the Manor. It was dark outside, and inside, the lights shone red, which was unusual, as was the cocktail bar below the staircase.

"Oh yeah, Cole also took over the Manor," Paige thought aloud.

Just then, Prue and Paige could hear footsteps. They turned towards the dining room to see a younger Paige, Piper and Leo walk towards them. Paige's top was torn, Piper was dressed in a black leather outfit, with knifes placed in holders on her legs and Leo was dressed in a dirty tracksuit. Paige was also holding a potion vial containing a red liquid.

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, Phoebe ran down in her dressing gown and red night-dress.

"What are you guys doing here?" she said, "You have to leave now!"

"Where's Cole?" asked Piper.

"Right here!"

Everyone turned just in time to see Cole throw a huge energy ball towards them. It hit younger Paige, Piper and Leo, who were all sent flying backwards into the cocktail bar.

"No!" yelled Phoebe, running to them as they fell to the floor. At the same time, Cole opened his hand, and the potion vial flew into it.

"What do you do to them?!?" yelled Phoebe, turning to him, as Paige raised her head.

"Exactly what they were going to do to me," replied Cole.

Paige leered at Cole, before reaching over and feeling Piper's wrist.

"She's still alive!" she yelled to Phoebe, "Grab her hand!"

"What?" said Phoebe, turning to Paige and then back to Cole.

"I don't know how you got here, Paige," said Cole, "but if it's any consolation, I know exactly where I'm going to bury you ... right next to yourself."

"Grab her hand!" Paige said again, turning to Phoebe. Phoebe hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed Piper's hand.

Almost immediately, the chandelier above began to glow, and a blue light shone over Phoebe, Paige, Piper and Leo. Cole stared at the light, as Phoebe looked at Cole. Cole then threw an energy ball towards them, but the light acted as a shield, deflecting the ball. Cole ducked as it flew back towards him, and it smashed through one of the doors in the conservatory.

The light then faded, and Phoebe rose to her feet, as Cole turned to face her.

"The Power of Three ..." she said softly.

"That's us," said Paige, and then holding out her hand, "Potion!"

The vial in Cole's hand disappeared, re-appearing in Paige's hand in the usual blue orbs.

"I do hate long goodbyes," said Paige, as she prepared to throw the vial.

"No!" yelled Phoebe, grabbing Paige's hand and taking the vial from her. She then turned back to Cole.

"Phoebe, are you crazy?" cried Paige, "Throw it before he shimmers out!"

Phoebe didn't move.

"She's not going to throw it," said Cole, smiling, "Are you?"

"Throw the potion!" said Paige.

Again, Phoebe did not move, but merely looked at Cole.

"We've been through so much together," said Cole, his voice shaking slightly, "haven't we? It's a love so strong; nothing can destroy it, not even this."

Phoebe smiled slightly, as Paige shook her head. Meanwhile, Prue looked sadly at Phoebe, and older Paige looked from Prue to Paige to Phoebe, and then to Cole as he began to speak again.

"We're meant to be together."

Cole and Phoebe looked into each other's eyes; Phoebe still wearing a small smile, and Cole wearing a pleading look. For a few moments, everyone stood in silence, and then...

"I don't think so!"

Phoebe threw the vial straight at Cole, and as it hit him, fire began to spread throughout his body. Phoebe gasped and narrowed her eyes against the glare of the fire, and the two Paiges and Prue did the same.

"AARRRGGHHH! NOOOOOOOO!" Cole roared, as the fire continued to consume him.

Moments later, with an almighty explosion, he was destroyed. Only small flames remained in the spot where he stood, which quickly faded away.

Phoebe stared at the spot in complete shock, and Prue sighed sadly. Suddenly, younger Paige's body began to glow white, and moments later, she had vanished. Phoebe gasped as she turned round and saw that Paige had gone. She then turned back to the spot where Cole had stood, as Piper and Leo began to awaken.

"It's actually quite sad in a way," said Paige, sighing, "I mean, I'm glad we no longer have to worry about him trying to kill us, but at the same time ..."

" ... it's obvious how much they cared about each other," said Prue, as Piper and Leo began to rise to their feet.

"Oh ..." groaned Piper, "What happened? Where's Paige?"

"She's gone ..." said Phoebe, no emotion in her voice, "She disappeared in a white flash."

"She'll have gone back to her own reality," groaned Leo, "which means that the potion worked."

Piper looked at the spot where Phoebe stared, and sighed

"Are you OK?" asked Piper, turning to her sister.

"I don't know ..."

Piper put her arm around Phoebe, and hugged her. Paige did the same to Prue, as the two vanished once again.

* * *

"Cole?"

Piper, Phoebe and Paige had just walked out of the elevator in Cole's penthouse. It was completely silent, except for the sound of a partially destroyed door being blown open and closed by the wind.

"I'm telling you, he's gone," said Paige softly, "For good."

"Yeah, that's what we thought last time," said Phoebe, as they walked into the penthouse.

"And the time before that," said Piper.

"This time was different," said Paige, walking over to the broken door, and locking it shut, "He straddled two worlds, just like I did, but he wasn't invincible there."

She turned back to Piper, as Phoebe walked back from Cole's bedroom.

"Cole's not coming back ... ever."

"Just seems far too easy," said Piper, "I don't know how I feel about that."

"I think you should feel good about it," said Paige, walking towards Piper, "You know, we don't have to watch over our shoulders any more. It's over!"

Phoebe knelt down to pick up a picture of her and Cole, and stared at it.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be," she said softly, turning to her sisters. Paige smiled.

"Let's go," said Piper.

The sisters then made their way back towards the elevator. As Piper pressed the button to summon the elevator, Phoebe placed the picture on a small table. She then turned back to the penthouse, and smiled before joining Piper.

As Paige reached the doors, she too turned back to the penthouse. The elevator doors opened, and Piper and Phoebe walked in. Piper held the doors open as Paige sighed.

"Happy birthday, Cole."

She then turned round and joined her sisters in the elevator. Phoebe leaned against the banister as Piper released the button, and the elevator doors closed for the final time.

Prue and Paige walked out into the moonlight shining through the windows, eyes on the closed elevator.

"The end," said Prue softly.

Paige turned to her, and they both smiled sadly. They then held hands, and left the penthouse as the curtains flapped softly in the cold night wind.


	10. Birth and Rebirth

YAY, NEW CHAPTER! :D

Thanks again to everyone who is still reading and reviewing! ;)

WARNING: This chapter has some strong language.

* * *

**Birth and Rebirth**

"... and like Paige said, Cole never did come back. We were finally free."

Phoebe smiled sadly as she finished her story. Sam sighed deeply.

"How did that make you feel?" he asked.

"It was weird," replied Phoebe, "I was happy, because we didn't have to worry about the next attack from him, but at the same time ... it's like, something would happen which would remind me of him, and I'd feel just a little bit sad ..."

Sam gave a little sympathetic smile.

"Well, it's obvious that, once upon a time, you truly loved him," he said, "Before Coop, he was 'the one'."

"How did you know that?" asked Phoebe.

"Paige told me. Despite her feelings towards him, even she could tell how much you loved him. And trust me – when someone touches your heart like Cole did yours, you never do forget them, regardless of what happens. I should know ..."

Now it was Phoebe's turn to smile at Sam.

"Do you get to see Mum at all?"

"Every once in a while," said Sam, "We're on good speaking terms, but it's obvious she still holds a torch for Victor ... as she should. When she's not watching over you, your sisters or your nephews, she's looking in on him."

"Really?" asked Phoebe, smiling widely, "She watches over us?"

"Every chance she gets."

Phoebe lips began to shake and she quickly raised her hand to wipe her eyes.

"Wow, this has been ... a really emotional day," she said softly.

Sam reached over, and placed his hand on Phoebe's left arm. Phoebe then placed her hand upon his, and the two smiled at one another.

Just then, Piper and Leo walked through the doors into the Grand Hall.

"Hey," said Piper softly.

"Hey," replied Phoebe, as she and Sam turned to them.

"Phoebe, have you been crying?" asked Leo, as he and Piper reached them.

"Oh, um ... just a little ..." said Phoebe, wiping her eyes again, "Sam and I were just talking ... about Mum, and Cole ..."

"Cole?" said Piper.

"Yeah ... you know, when he came back from the wasteland ..."

"... and up until Paige went to the alternate reality and he was vanquished for good," finished Sam.

Piper sighed as she looked at Phoebe.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"I think so," said Phoebe with a sigh, "I'm just having a really emotional day ..."

Piper walked towards Phoebe, and placed her hand on her shoulder. Almost as soon as she had, Phoebe gasped and turned to her, tears filling her eyes again.

"Oh, Piper ..." she said softly.

"Wow, you _are_ having an emotional day," said Piper, smiling.

Phoebe giggled, but as she turned to look at Paige, she sighed sadly.

"Have the Elders said anything yet?" asked Leo.

"No, but to tell you the truth, I'm not expecting them to anytime soon," said Phoebe.

"Why?" asked Leo and Sam together.

"Well, they never did tell us about Prue being with Paige. Mum was the one who told us, and also, they themselves told us that this is a unique situation."

"Well, you never know, perhaps the Elders might learn something," said Sam, "I know you guys aren't their biggest fans, but, in times like this, you can trust them."

Phoebe raised her eyebrows as she turned to Sam.

"Wait, _you're_ defending the Elders?" said Phoebe, and Sam chuckled.

"I'd like to believe you, Sam," said Piper, releasing Phoebe's shoulder, "but there are some things that even the Elders are powerless to change."

Phoebe turned to Piper, and smiled sadly.

"What do you think they're doing now?" she asked.

"Well, whatever they're doing, I just hope Prue's taking good care of Paige," said Piper softly.

"She will be," said Leo, putting his arm around her. The four of them looked at Paige's still body, every one of them wanting to help her, but knowing that there was only one person who could help her now ...

* * *

Prue and Paige had re-appeared in the Manor hall, which was different from the last time they were there. It was still night-time, but the red lighting had vanished and the destroyed door in the conservatory was now fixed.

"So, what memory is this?" asked Paige.

Before Prue could answer, they both heard a tumbling sound. They turned around to see Piper, dressed in a nightie, falling down the staircase.

"Oh my gosh, Piper!"

As Piper landed on the first landing, Prue and Paige heard footsteps coming from their right. They turned to see a demon dressed in black and holding an atheme walk in from the dining room. Piper raised herself into a sitting position, and leered at the demon as he reached her.

"Stupid witch," he growled, "you could have killed the both of you."

"Both?" said Paige.

The three sisters then looked up to see a blonde woman carrying a case and massaging her head walking down the stairs.

"She caught me off guard," Doris groaned.

"Just get down here!" growled Cronyn.

"Oh my gosh, I know what this is ..." gasped Paige, as the woman walked down the stairs and the demon walked up to Piper.

"Get away from me!" cried Piper, as Cronyn grabbed her arms from behind, restraining her.

Doris looked under Piper's nightie, and then at Cronyn.

"Her contractions are less than a minute apart," she said.

Piper then suddenly groaned in pain.

"Oh no, please, not now ..."

Just then, Paige saw, in her peripheral vision, Phoebe and younger Paige run into the dining room.

"Step aside, bitch!" yelled Phoebe, as she and Paige made their way into the hall.

"Yeah, that's our job!" called Paige.

As Piper and the demons faced them, Cronyn raised his atheme to Piper's throat.

"Move, even breathe, and she's dead," he growled.

Phoebe and Paige watched in fear, as did Prue and older Paige, even although they knew what would happen.

"Vanquish him, Phoebe," said Piper.

"Your sister will die," said Cronyn.

"At least you'll save the baby ..."

"Oh my gosh ..." said Paige softly.

"I'm warning you!" growled Cronyn, his eyes wide.

"Kill him!" said Piper.

Paige turned to Phoebe, whose eyes were wide in fear.

"How can I?" she asked.

"DO IT!"

"Pi ..."

"Phoebe, if you love me, you will send this crazy bastard straight to hell!" yelled Piper.

Suddenly, Victor Bennett jumped down the stairs. Piper ducked out of the way as he lunged at Cronyn. Doris jumped off the staircase as Victor used all of his strength to throw Cronyn off the landing and onto the floor. Victor then groaned in pain as his hand reached to his back.

Paige then quickly put her hand into a pouch she was carrying and threw some magical dust onto Cronyn and Doris.

"Now!" she yelled.

Phoebe then took a piece of paper out of her pocket, and began to recite a spell as Cronyn and Doris tried to escape:

_"These, the blood of myth and lore,  
Give my words the power to soar  
And kill this evil evermore." _

Just before they reached the door, Cronyn and Doris' roared as their bodies exploded. The closet door also blew open as the demon hidden inside was vanquished.

"Is everybody OK?" asked Paige softly.

"I feel like I'm dying!" sobbed Piper.

"OH, baby's coming, baby's coming!" yelled Phoebe, as she ran into the dining room.

Prue and older Paige watched as Phoebe cleared the table and laid upon it a blanket and some pillows. Younger Paige then helped Piper to her feet and into the dining room. Piper was then helped onto the table, and she lay upon the pillows, sobbing. Paige held her hand, and Phoebe stood in front of Piper's open legs, as Prue and Paige walked into the dining room.

"You're OK," said Paige.

"OK, you're doing great, sweetie," said Phoebe, "Yes you are. Now, let's see what we have here ..."

She lifted up Piper's nightie.

"Oh, I see a head of dark hair!" she said, smiling.

""You do?" sobbed Piper.

"What did you expect, a blonde?" said Paige, and the five sisters laughed.

Just then, Leo walked in through the front door.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, running through the hall.

"A LOT!" cried Piper.

"Victor needs help!" said Paige, "Here, take this!"

She threw the pouch to Leo, who then turned to Victor, who was leaning against the wall cabinet. A large blood stain was visible through his yellow jumper.

"OK, OK, breathe, keep breathing, keep breathing ..." said Phoebe softly.

"It's OK," said Paige, as Piper kept taking sharp breaths.

Meanwhile, Leo took some magic dust from the pouch, and sprinkled it onto the blood patch on Victor's back. Almost instantly, the blood disappeared as the knife wound was healed.

"Very good, OK, relax ..." said Phoebe, as Victor reached round to his back, looking at Leo in surprise.

"Dad?" sobbed Piper.

"Yeah, honey?" asked Victor, turning to Piper, smiling.

"I'm sorry about your demon wife."

"Oh, hush," said Victor, "don't think about that."

Phoebe smiled widely, tears running down her face, as Leo made his way to Piper's side.

"I'm right here, baby," he said, putting his arm around her.

"OK? " sobbed Phoebe, "You're all right. You're doing great! You're doing great!"

Piper sobbed, as Leo and Paige comforted her. Prue and older Paige smiled widely, as the tears began to run down Prue's face.

"Push OK? Last push."

"I can't ..." sobbed Piper.

"You have to," said Phoebe, "Now big one! BIG one! Push!"

"You can do it," said Leo.

"I can't ..."

"You can!" said Phoebe, "You can!"

"Yes, you can ..." said Paige, running her hand across her arm soothingly.

Piper shook her head, as Victor watched on nervously.

"Push!" called Phoebe, "Push! Push! Come on, push!"

Piper began to cry, and she grabbed the table firmly as she pushed with all of her strength. Suddenly, the ceiling lamp above them began to glow, as blue light shone down upon them.

"Oh, looks like magic's coming back," said younger Paige.

"Here we go, here we go ..." sobbed Phoebe, as Piper continued to cry, "Oh ... I see a shoulder ..."

Leo comforted Piper, as she continued to push.

" ... and another shoulder ..."

Another push.

" ... and an arm, a little arm ..."

Prue smiled widely, her face wet with tears.

" ... oh, and something else, something else ..."

Phoebe then reached for a pair of medical scissors, and cut the umbilical cord. As everyone watched, Phoebe stepped away from Piper, carrying a large mass of blue orbs in a blanket.

Moments later, they heard the baby crying, and Phoebe turned around to show it to them. Instantly, everyone wore looks of shock and surprise.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Paige.

"Uh, if you're referring to Mr Winkie between the legs, yes," said Phoebe.

"It's a boy!"

"I got a boy?" said Leo, smiling, as Victor, Prue and older Paige did the same.

"Here you go, mama," said Phoebe, as she handed the baby to Piper. Piper smiled kindly as she took her son into her hands. The blue light then began to fade.

"Hi, little guy, what're you doing?" said Piper softly, and then looking up at Leo, "Look what we did!"

"I see!" said Leo, grinning.

"It's a miracle," sobbed Paige.

"A little miracle," said Piper, as Victor, Prue and Paige moved closer.

"Oh, he's beautiful," said Phoebe, as Piper giggled.

"You are safe, you are loved and you are wise," said Piper, smiling down at her son.

Paige and Prue turned to each other, both grinning. As they turned back, Paige put her arm around Prue, and Prue did the same to her.

"How you doin'?" giggled Piper, as the Halliwell family fawned over their newest member.

"Wyatt Halliwell," said Paige, sighing.

"Don't you mean Wyatt Matthew Halliwell?" said Prue, "I would have thought you'd remember, considering Piper named him after you?"

"Oh yeah ..."

Prue smiled at Paige, as she looked up at her family. Paige then sighed sadly.

"Paige, are you OK?"

"Hmm?" she said, turning to Prue, "Oh yeah ... of course I am ..."

"Shall we, then?" asked Prue, holding out her hand.

Paige took one last look at her family before she answered.

"Yeah, sure, let's go."

She then took Prue's hand, and they both vanished.

* * *

They re-appeared in the Manor attic once again. Younger Paige was looking in the Book of Shadows.

"Phoebe!" she called, "Hey, Phoebe!"

Moments later, Phoebe ran into the attic.

"Did you find something?" she asked.

"Do titans ring a bell?"

"Titans, like from Ancient Greece?" asked Phoebe, walking over to Paige, "You have got to be kidding me."

"No," replied Paige, as she read from the Book, "ancient gods who were entombed because it was the only way to stop them."

"OK, well, even if it is them, how'd they get out? And why go after the whitelighters?"

"I don't know," said Paige, "maybe one of them was hurt, and maybe they needed healing powers? I do know that because of the Elders' 'no orbing' edict that the only way they're going to get another whitelighter is if one ..."

Paige raised her arms in the air, and Phoebe's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no way, Paige! Forget about it!"

"Why not? If I'm right, they will come right to us."

"And you're saying this like it's a good thing?!?" said Phoebe loudly.

"It is!" said Paige, "This is why I haven't been sleeping! This is what I've been preparing for all year!"

She then walked past Phoebe, and over to the table upon which the small cauldron sat.

"I have got potions here that are stronger than the ones we used on the Source," she continued, picking up vials containing blue and yellow potion.

"OK, devil's advocate: until we figure out how powerful they are, we shouldn't use you as bait," said Phoebe.

"Witch's advocate: there are evil gods running around on the loose that we should eliminate before Wyatt comes home."

"Mmm, that's dirty," said Phoebe, "Why do I feel like you're making me choose between my sister and my nephew?"

"Because you're slightly overdramatic?" suggested Paige.

"I'm a little overdramatic?" laughed Phoebe.

"Look, can we just do this, please?"

"OK, fine," sighed Phoebe, "bring on the earthquake-causing gods!"

"Watch this ..."

Paige took a few steps forward, before orbing out of the attic. Phoebe then picked up another vial from the table, as Paige orbed back in.

Moments later, a loud rumbling sound filled the attic. Phoebe and Paige turned to see a whirlwind appear and then disappear to reveal a tall woman dressed in a white tunic and brown boots.

Paige quickly threw one of her vials at the Titan, but although it exploded as it hit her, it did no damage. The Titan then stared at Paige, her eyes turning silvery-white.

Phoebe then threw her vial at the Titan, whose eyes changed back as it hit. The Titan then turned to Phoebe, and stretched her arm out towards her. Phoebe stumbled backwards and crashed into the table, which collapsed under her weight.

Suddenly, in a mass of blue orbs, a young man wearing sunglasses appeared in front of Phoebe.

"Chris ..." said Paige softly.

"Don't look into her eyes!" he yelled, and Phoebe turned away as the man threw a vial at the Titan. He then threw another vial, and another, the Titan stumbling backwards each time. She then spun around very quickly and vanished.

The young man then turned to Phoebe, and helped her to her feet.

"You alright?" he asked.

Phoebe did not answer, and instead turned from him to Paige. She then gasped in horror as she saw a statue that looked remarkably like Paige standing where she had been moments ago.

"Oh my gosh, Paige!"

"Woah!" said Paige, "I completely forgot about that!"

"Yeah, you also seemed to forget that you didn't actually use potions against the Source," said Prue, "You used that spell, remember? Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda ... ?"

"Oh yeah ..." said Paige, "Well, you know, sleepless nights and all ..."

The sisters then watched Phoebe examine the Paige statue.

"Don't worry," said the young man, "She's alright."

Phoebe looked at him.

"Well, I mean, she's not _completely_ alright, obviously, but she's not dead."

"Are you sure she's not?" asked Phoebe.

"Frankly, you see this a lot," replied Chris, "Museums, universities, town centres – most of those statues, not really statues. They're people like your sister who have been ... turned to stone."

"Who are you?" asked Phoebe.

"Chris. Chris Perry. I'm ... from the future."

Just then, Piper walked into the attic. She gave a short scream as she noticed the Paige statue.

"My gosh, please tell me that's just a really good likeness of Paige!"

"No, it's Paige," said Phoebe, patting Paige's statue.

"Titan turned her to stone," explained Chris.

"Uh, who ... who are you?" asked Piper.

"That's Chris," said Phoebe, "He's from the future."

"Yeah, but only like twenty years or so," said Chris.

"Uh huh ..." said Piper, smiling nervously. She then looked at Phoebe

"Friend or foe?"

"Not sure yet," said Phoebe, walking over to her.

"What do you mean?" asked Chris, Phoebe turning to him, "I saved Paige, didn't I?"

"Oh, you call that saving, do you?" said Phoebe, motioning to the statue.

"Hey, I'm the one who put my life on the line here! I didn't have to drop everything I was doing just to orb in and save her butt ..."

"You ... you orb?" said Piper, "You're a whitelighter?"

"Look," said Chris, sighing, "where I come from, history shows Paige didn't get turned into stone on this day ... she died, and with her death, the Power of Three died too, allowing the Titans to rule and create a world you don't wanna see, trust me."

He walked towards them.

"I'm here to alter history – to help you save the future."

"Who sent you?" asked Phoebe seriously.

"I ... can't answer that," said Chris.

"Why not?"

"Because anything I tell you could risk changing the future in ways we don't want," said Chris.

"Who's we?" asked Piper.

"All I gotta say is that if I hadn't got here when I did, Paige would have been the third whitelighter victim."

"Wait, third?" said Phoebe, "I thought only one was missing."

"Not anymore," said Chris.

Piper quickly looked up at the ceiling.

"Leo! LEO!"

Moments later, Leo orbed in.

"Honey, I'm sorry I missed counselling but ..."

"Forget that, we've got bigger problems."

"What happened?" asked Leo.

"Forget that too," said Piper, "How many whitelighters are missing?"

"What?"

"How many?" repeated Piper.

"Uh, two," said Leo, "That's what the Elders just called me for."

"Believe me now?" said Chris.

"Who's he?" asked Leo, turning to Chris. Suddenly, everyone heard a crash from downstairs.

"What was that?" said Phoebe loudly, before, she, Piper and Leo left the attic to investigate. Chris, on the other hand, watched them leave, and then made his way over to the Book of Shadows, which was still open at the page on Titans.

"What was that?" asked Paige.

"Oh, just the magical community," said Prue, "Remember, they converged here to keep safe from the Titans."

"Ah ..."

"Of course, the Titans were very powerful, so the only way for you to stand a chance of defeating them was ..."

"... to become gods," said Paige, as Prue summoned the magical screen. They could see Piper, Phoebe and Paige, now free from the statue, standing in the sitting room of the Manor.

* * *

_"Leo, for goodness sake, if you can hear me ...!" yelled Piper._

_Just then, Chris orbed in._

_"You?" said Piper, as the sisters turned to him, "Where's Leo?"_

_"He's safe, for now," said Chris. He then noticed Paige._

_"Paige, hi."_

_"Hi ..." said Paige, confused._

_"Forget that!" said Piper, "What do you mean 'for now'?"_

_"What is this about us supposedly battling the Titans?" asked Phoebe._

_"You're about to find out," said Chris._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Paige._

_Suddenly, a cloud of grey came down through the ceiling, and made its way towards the sisters. It then surrounded them in a glowing whirlwind, and when it faded, they were shocked to discover that they were now dressed in Ancient Greek-styled white dresses._

_Phoebe also had long blonde hair, which she tried to see by turning around on the spot. As she stopped, she gave a short scream as she noticed the large trident that Paige was now holding._

_"That's what that means," said Chris._

_"What happened?" said Paige loudly, "What are we?"_

_Chris smiled._

_"You're gods."_

_

* * *

_

"And if it wasn't bad enough being gods and having to battle the Titans," said Prue, "Piper and Leo had their own problems."

She waved her arm again, and now she and Paige could see Leo, dressed in an Elder robe, smiling down at a giggling baby Wyatt in his cot_._

_

* * *

_

_"I'll never leave you," said Leo, "I promise."_

_"Why would you?" asked Piper, as she walked into the bedroom, "Leo, what's going on?"_

_"I'm not sure."_

_"What do you mean, you're not sure?" asked Piper._

_Leo looked at his wife sadly._

_"Chris, wherever you are, get your ASS over here!" yelled Piper._

_"It's OK, Chris," said Leo loudly._

_"This better be an emergency," said Chris, as he orbed in, "You are going to lead the Titans straight to us!"_

_"What's happening to my husband?" asked Piper._

_"Something amazing."_

_"You know what? Cut the crap!" said Piper, "You knew the Elders were going to die! You coached Leo up there! You knew all of this was going to happen!"_

_"Did you?" asked Leo._

_"You're not serious!" scoffed Chris._

_"Whatever it is you think you're doing, you need to make it stop," said Piper._

_"Piper, nobody chose this!" said Chris, "It chose Leo. What he did up there for all of us, was nothing short of a miracle. Now he's receiving the ultimate reward – a chance to become a ..."_

_"Don't you dare say it!" said Piper._

_"The world needs sources of good to watch over it. DO you know a source of pure goodness better than Leo?"_

_Leo turned back to Piper, as she scoffed in disbelief._

_"Leo is not ... he's not an Elder, OK? Because Elders don't live on Earth, they don't have families, OK?"_

_She turned to Leo._

_"Just tell him you're not an Elder!"_

_"I don't know that I can ..." said Leo sadly._

_Piper stared at him._

_"I think you should get back to your sisters," said Chris._

_Piper did not move, but continued to look at Leo, who smiled sadly._

_"No, not until you tell him," she said._

_"They're waiting for you," said Chris._

_"Chris is right," said Leo, "you need to get back to Paige and Phoebe."_

_"No," said Piper, "not until you say it."_

_"The Titans are gonna be here any moment!" said Chris._

_"I said NO!" yelled Piper, stretching her arm out towards Chris. Shockwaves shot out from her arm, and as they hit Chris, he flew through the air and crashed into a wardrobe. He then fell to the floor, unconscious as Leo moved to him._

_"He'll be OK," he said, as Piper moved towards them. Leo then turned to Piper._

_"You did it, Piper – you found your power. Now control it – don't let it control you!"_

_Suddenly, the sounds of crashing furniture downstairs could be heard._

_"Piper!" called Phoebe's voice.

* * *

_

Prue waved her arm once again, and the first thing they saw was Phoebe flying into a table in the conservatory. Flowerpots fell and smashed on the floor as Phoebe picked herself up.

_

* * *

_

_"Where's the Elder who created you?" bellowed Cronus the Titan._

_Paige also got to her feet and walked to Phoebe's side, as the two Titans approached them. All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and the four of them tried to steady themselves._

_A whirlwind appeared before the Titans, which cleared to reveal Piper, as the shaking stopped. Cronus smirked as Piper stared at him. He and Demetrius then shot bolts of fire and lighting directly at Piper's stomach, but they had no effect on her. Piper looked at the Titans, smiling as they stopped._

_"It's not nice to piss off Mother Nature," she said, then rasing her arms._

_The ground began to shake again, and this time, cracks formed between her and the Titans. The windows smashed, as the ground gave way, leaving a gaping hole in the floor, which led to a sea of lava below. Cronus and Demetrius stepped back, as they watched the ceiling lamp and then a cupboard fall through._

_Paige then quickly picked up her trident, and shot lightning at the floor in front of the Titans. It crumbled, and eventually, Cronus and Demetrius roared as they fell through the hole, towards the lava._

_Piper then lowered her arms, and the floor magically re-formed itself._

_"So much for the Titans," said Paige._

_Leo then walked into the conservatory, looked at the floor and then at Piper._

_"You did it, Piper," he said, as she looked up at him, her face emotionless, "you found the power you needed."_

_He looked up at Phoebe and Paige._

_"You all did," he said, and then looking back at Piper, "Now it's time to give it back."_

_Suddenly, Piper vanished in a whirlwind. Phoebe and Paige looked at each other, and Leo sighed.

* * *

_

"Poor Piper," said Paige, sighing as Prue made the screen disappear, "She and Leo were reasonably stable at this point, and then the Titans ruined it all."

"Yeah," said Prue softly, "but Piper wasn't willing to give up what they had without a fight."

She held out her hand again.

"Now, Paige, I'm going to take you somewhere you haven't been before."

"Where?" asked Paige, taking her hand reluctantly.

"To the Elders," replied Prue, as they vanished once again._

* * *

_

Everything was white – the floors, walls and tall pillars – except for the sky, which was a perfect blue with white clouds floating by. Elders dressed in golden cloaks were walking or huddled in groups, talking in clicks and clucks.

"Wow ..." gasped Paige, "Is ... is this Heaven?"

"Hmm ... yes and no," replied Prue, "This is where Elders and whitelighters meet. The souls of those on Earth, however, live beyond this."

"And what's that like?" asked Paige.

"Well ..."

However, before Prue could tell her, a whirlwind appeared before them. It then cleared to reveal a sodden goddess Piper, whose eyes were bloodshot.

"Where is she?" she asked, her voice shaking, "Where is Leo?"

An Elder then walked towards her from behind. He removed his hood as he reached her.

"Piper, what are you doing here?" whispered Leo.

"How can you do this?" said Piper.

Leo looked at her for a moment, and then around the room.

"Um, excuse us for a minute," he said to the other Elders.

He then led Piper away from the Elders. As they stopped, Piper slowly turned to Leo.

"You ... asked me to marry you, and I did. You wanted a family, and I gave you a son. And now you want me to watch you just walk away?"

"It's not that simple," said Leo softly.

"Then make it simple!" sobbed Piper, "Because I'm trying really hard to understand."

"Piper, if I had a choice in any of this, I would choose you. I always have."

"Then choose me now," said Piper, holding out her hand, "Then let's go home ..."

"Don't you think I wanna?" said Leo.

"I don't know ... and that's what scares me the most ..."

Piper lowered her head, and closed her eyes solemnly.

"The Elders were wrong about us," said Leo, taking Piper's hands, "They didn't think our love could survive, but it did. Our love blessed us in ways they couldn't even imagine. It gave you the strength ... that you needed to take over for Prue, it produced a baby with ... a greater future than any of us, and it made me a ..."

"... an Elder," finished Piper, sobbing just as Paige was. She turned to Prue, and was not surprised to see that she was doing the same.

"Our love is transcendent, Piper," said Leo, "It lifted me up so high, that this was the only possible result. Being an Elder wasn't my destiny, but yet here I am because of you."

"I can't just give up," cried Piper, "I don't know how."

"You can't fight this," said Leo.

Piper sobbed, and as she turned away from Leo, grey smoke began to rise from her body. Her goddess dress then vanished to reveal the blue dress she was wearing before, and her long hair returned to its previous bun. The grey cloud that granted Piper her goddess powers then flew away and through the large doors at the far end of the hall.

"How am I supposed to do this alone?" asked Piper, turning back to Leo.

"You have your sisters."

"It's not the same," said Piper softly.

A sad silence followed.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked, looking away from him.

"I don't know," whispered Leo, as Piper's tears continued to fall.

"I'll always be watching over you," he added.

"But you won't be there for Wyatt," sobbed Piper, "You're going to miss so much!"

"I will never leave Wyatt's side - he will always feel my presence."

Paige gave a small sad smile, and then she felt Prue's hand close around hers. Prue then sniffed, and Paige squeezed her hand softly.

"It's not the same as human love," continued Leo, "He needs you for that."

"He's got me," sobbed Piper, nodding, "and I hope that that's enough ... but what if it's not ...?"

Piper began to cry, and Leo looked at her with a sad love in his eyes.

"As an Elder, I have the power to take your pain away," he whispered.

Piper sighed softly.

"You can't make me forget you."

"No," said Leo softly, "help you find peace."

They then walked towards each other, and Piper cried into his shoulder as they hugged. Leo then closed his eyes, and as he did, he began to glow golden for a few moments. It then faded, and Piper glowed instead. The glow then faded from her as they orbed away.

For a few moments, Prue and Paige just stood there in silence, holding hands. Prue then cleared her throat.

"OK, um ... maybe we should ..."

Just then, Paige took her hand away from Prue's, and walked a few steps away from her.

"Paige?" said Prue, "Are you OK?"

Paige looked away form Prue, wiping her eyes. She then turned back to Prue, and sighed deeply.

"I am so sorry, Prue," she said, "but ... I don't think I can do this anymore."

"What do you mean?" asked Prue.

"I mean ... I think I want to go home."


	11. The Greatest Premonition

Wow, two chapters in two days! :D

I've been looking forward to writing this chapter, which is why I managed to write and upload this in one day. It will probably be a while until the next chapter though. :P

This chapter is purely my own work, so there's no memories! :D

* * *

**The Greatest Premonition**

With the usual pink and white flash, Prue and Paige re-appeared in the hall of the Halliwell Manor.

"What are we doing here?" asked Paige.

"We're now back in the present day," explained Prue, "I wasn't sure if you could leave limbo while stuck in a memory."

Prue then let go of Paige's hand and turned to her.

"Now, are you absolutely sure you're ready to go back?" she asked, frowning.

"Prue ..." said Paige softly, sighing, "don't get me wrong, I have absolutely loved the time that I have spent with you, and it's been amazing looking back on the memories ..."

"But?" asked Prue.

"But ... after seeing our sisters go through some terrible times, and also seeing some good stuff too, I'm ... just worried about them, about the pain that I must be putting them through."

"I'm sure they must have an idea of what's going on ..."

"Even if that's the case," said Paige sadly, "I miss them, and I just ... want to go back."

Prue sighed sadly, but managed a small smile as she looked into Paige's eyes.

"The Halliwell stubbornness," she said, and Paige laughed.

"I'm sorry, Prue."

"No, don't be," said Prue, sighing, "_I'm _the one who should be sorry. I've been a bit selfish, keeping you here against your will ..."

"No, it's not like that at all!" said Paige, "I have loved being here with you. It's given us the quality time that we never had the chance to share."

Prue smiled widely at Paige.

"I've loved being with you too."

Paige smiled back.

"I'm going to miss you," said Paige.

"I'll miss you too, sis," said Prue, before she and Paige walked towards each other and hugged.

"I love you so much, Paige."

Paige gasped softly, tears forming in her eyes.

"I love you too, sis," she said, and Prue laughed softly.

They then separated, Prue's eyes also watering, and Paige took a few steps back.

"So, what do I do?" she asked.

"Just close your eyes and think of those you love," said Prue, "Hopefully, since I'm here, you won't move on, but go back."

"Wait, _hopefully_?"

"Well, you know, this is a unique situation ..." said Prue, "and I'm no expert on things like this anyway."

"But you're _dead_," said Paige, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, but it's not as if there's a 'How To' guide on limbo," said Prue, returning Paige's smile.

"OK, well, you're my sister, and I trust you," said Paige.

"Really?" said Prue, "But we've barely met!"

"Yeah, but I know I can trust you. My heart tells me so, and, besides, I told you I loved you, didn't I?"

Prue shook her head, grinning.

"I'm so glad I finally got to meet you," she said.

"Ditto," said Paige, with a small nod.

They looked at each other sadly.

"Bye, Paige."

"Bye, Prue."

Paige then closed her eyes, and thought of Piper, Phoebe, Henry, Wyatt, Leo and even Sam. She remembered the good times she had shared with her sisters, nephew and brother-in-law. She remembered first meeting Henry, her wedding day and even meeting Sam for the first time as an adult. She smiled as she relaxed her muscles and prepared to return to the living plain.

* * *

Back in Magic School, Sam was once again sitting beside Paige. Piper and Leo were sitting on a chaise sofa, Leo's arm around Piper, while Phoebe was sitting on a chair, reading an old magic book. The only sound was the occasional flipping of pages of Phoebe's book.

After some time, Henry walked into the Grand Hall.

"Sorry I was away so long," he said, "I phoned the office, managed to get the day off."

His eyes found Sam sitting beside Paige.

"Any news?" he asked.

"Nope," said Phoebe softly, closing her book, "and I can't find anything that can help us."

"How are you holding up, Sam?"

"Oh, I'm fine, son," said Sam, turning to Henry, "Just trying to see if I can sense something, but so far ..."

He shook his head, and then turned back to Paige.

"Don't worry, Henry," said Piper softly, "We'll get her back ... somehow ..."

She smiled at Henry, who smiled back.

Sam took Paige's hand and massaged it with his two. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, he gasped, his eyes opening wide. At the same time, Phoebe turned to Paige, her eyes also wide.

"Paige?"

Piper, Leo and Henry all turned to face Phoebe.

"Phoebe?" asked Leo, "What's wrong?"

"I'm ... not sure yet," replied Phoebe, still staring at Paige. She then rose to her feet and walked towards her and Sam. The others looked at one another, and then they too made their way towards them.

"Sam?"

Sam turned to Phoebe, and she smiled sadly. He looked into her eyes for a few moments, as the others looked from one to the other, clearly confused. Then Sam understood.

"You felt it too?" he asked Phoebe, surprised.

Phoebe nodded in reply.

"Felt what?" asked Piper.

"Hold her hand, and you'll see," said Sam.

Piper knelt down beside Sam, as he released Paige's hand. Piper then took it in hers, and almost instantly, she gasped softly.

"Oh my gosh ..."

Phoebe smiled at her.

"Wh-what is it?" asked Piper.

Phoebe and Sam replied at the same time.

"Paige."

* * *

Paige opened her eyes. She expected to see the Grand Hall of Magic School, and Piper, Phoebe, Billie and Lauren smiling at her.

However, the first thing she saw was Prue standing before her. At first, she thought that perhaps she had travelled back with her, but then she realised that she was still in the Manor, and she concluded that she was still in limbo.

"Paige, what's wrong?" asked Prue.

"I don't know," said Paige. She looked around the Manor, and then looked back at Prue.

"Did I go anywhere?"

Prue shook her head, and Paige sighed.

"I'm sorry, Paige. I wish I ..."

Prue stopped in mid-sentence. As Paige looked at her, she saw that Prue's mouth was open and that she was staring at the floor.

"Prue, what is it?" she asked.

"I think I might have an idea," she said, looking back up at Paige, "Maybe because I'm still here, I'm actually stopping you from going back."

"So ...?"

"So, maybe I should leave first," suggested Prue.

"But wait," said Paige, "if you leave, what's to stop me from just ... moving on?"

"Oh yeah ..." said Prue, sighing. Paige then gasped suddenly.

"What if ... we leave at the same time?"

"Well, it's worth a try," said Prue, smiling.

They smiled at each other one last time.

"Goodbye," said Prue.

"Bye," said Paige.

The sisters then closed their eyes. Paige focused on her family, while Prue focused on the feelings of happiness and peace that she was so familiar with.

* * *

  
Phoebe was kneeling down beside Henry, her hand on his shoulder as his hands held Paige's.

"Wow ..." he said softly.

"I know," said Phoebe.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight," said Piper, "Somehow, this essence that the Elders felt before ... we all felt it there?"

"Yes," said Sam, standing beside Phoebe.

"But how?"

"I don't know," replied Sam, "Perhaps she's ... trying to reach out to us."

"She is," said Phoebe.

Everyone turned to her.

"How do you know that?" asked Piper.

"Uh ... I'm ... not really sure," said Phoebe, "I ... just do."

"You know, you've been acting kinda weird today. Your emotions have been all over the place ..."

"Well, perhaps I'm just upset about Paige," said Phoebe.

"Possibly," said Piper, "but how do you explain this – we all had to be near Paige to feel the essence, but you felt it from the opposite side of the room."

Phoebe looked down at the floor.

"Sweetie, what is going on?" asked Piper kindly.

"I dunno," said Phoebe, rising to her feet, "I mean, you're right, my emotions have been off today, but not just because of Paige. I've cried for Mum and Cole too, and I'm constantly getting all these emotions flowing through me; love, sorrow, anger ..."

She sighed, her hands rising to her face as everyone looked at her.

"It's so strange, and yet it feels ... so familiar. It's like this has happened to me before ..."

She was silent for a few moments as her arms fell to her sides.

"You mean ... when Prue died, or Grams, or Cole ..."

"No," said Phoebe, looking at Piper, "It's not like that. It's different, and it usually happens when I'm around others ..."

Phoebe fell silent again, but this time, her eyes, which turned to the floor, grew wide.

"No ..."

"What?" asked Leo.

"It couldn't be ..."

"Phoebe, what is it?" asked Piper.

Phoebe looked up at everyone, and took a deep breath.

"I think ... I might be ... an empath again."

Piper and Leo looked at each other in shock.

"Wait, a what?" asked Henry.

"An empath," explained Phoebe, "has the ability to sense the emotions of others. I used to be one a few years back, but then the power was taken from me. I was told I had to earn it back, and ... I guess I have."

"But how?" asked Piper.

"I don't know, but I must have done something right!"

Phoebe turned to look at Paige, and then quickly back to Piper.

"Hey, I have an idea," she said, "Maybe I should touch Paige's hand. Maybe my empathy powers might just help us learn something."

"That is if you actually _are_ an empath," said Piper.

"You think I might not be?"

"Well, you know, this has been an emotional day for all of us," said Piper.

"Yeah, it has," said Phoebe, "but, Piper, I just know in my heart that I am feeling more than just my own emotions here."

"I think she should try," said Leo to Piper, "From what she says, I think there is a good chance that Phoebe might be an empath again."

Piper looked at Leo, and then turned back to Phoebe.

"OK, give it a try."

Phoebe gave a small smile, and then turned to Paige. Henry moved as Phoebe knelt down beside Paige and slowly reached out for Paige's hand. Phoebe took her hand in her two, and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

Suddenly, she gasped loudly, her mouth opening as she knelt as still as a statue.

"What's going on?" asked Henry, "Is she alright?"

Piper walked over to Phoebe, and sat beside her, looking at her face. Her mouth was still open.

"I think ... she's having a premonition ... a pretty _big_ premonition ..."

* * *

Prue opened one eye, and looked around her. Instantly, she knew it had not worked.

"Uh oh ..."

Paige opened her eyes, looked around briefly and then back at Prue.

"Prue?" she asked.

"OK ..." said Prue nervously, both eyes now open, "Uh, Paige, I don't want you to panic or anything ... but I think ... that we might ... be stuck."

"Stuck?!?" said Paige loudly, "N-no, Prue, we can't stay stuck in limbo! I have a life to live, and you have an after ... life."

"I know, I know. Just give me a minute to think!"

Prue bowed her head in thought.

"I thought you said you weren't an expert ..."

"Paige, now is not the time!" said Prue, looking up at her before bowing her head again.

Paige stayed silent. She could now see the big sister in Prue.

"OK, I think I might know what's going on," said Prue, looking up again, "If there's anything that you and I have learned while being Charmed, it's that everything happens for a reason, right?"

"Yeah," said Paige, "so ..."

"So, there must be a reason for this!"

"Yeah, I agree with you there," said Paige, "but what _is_ the reason?"

"Well ..." said Prue, thinking hard, "let me see. We've been going through memories, memories of important times since my death, like the reconstitution of the Charmed Ones, fighting the Source, Wyatt's birth ... and you've also learned things , like how much Piper loves you ..."

Prue gasped loudly.

"That's IT! Maybe we have to stay here until you learn something important!"

"OK," said Paige slowly, "but how do we figure out what that something is?"

"We do what we've _been_ doing," answered Prue, "We continue through the memories, until we find the answer!"

Paige sighed, and gave a short nod of the head.

"Well, I hope we find the answer soon ... but, no matter how long it takes, I'm always with ya, sis!"

Prue smiled and held out her hand. Paige took it and together, they vanished once again in the pink and white light.

* * *

Phoebe's eyes opened suddenly as she gasped again. Piper jumped in fright.

"Phoebe, are you alright?" she asked.

Phoebe turned to Piper, and Piper could see that her eyes were watery.

"Better than," she replied softly.

"Well, what did you see?" asked Piper, helping Phoebe to her feet.

Phoebe sighed contentedly.

"I saw Paige ... and Prue."

As soon as Phoebe mentioned Prue's name, Piper stared right into Phoebe's eyes, lost for words. Leo was the next to speak.

"What did they say?"

"Oh, um, Prue was saying that they're stuck in limbo ..."

"We already knew that," said Piper impatiently, "What else did she say?"

"Um, she thinks that Paige can't leave until she learns something important," said Phoebe, "and she said something about ... revisiting memories, like vanquishing the Source and Wyatt's birth."

Piper sighed, her eyes now filling up.

"So, basically, we're as powerless as we always have been!" she said loudly, walking away from Phoebe, wiping her eyes.

"Piper ..."

"No, I'm sorry, Phoebe, but I can't _stand_ this! I can't stand the fact that we can't help Paige, and I can't stand the fact that I am now the only sister that hasn't seen Prue!"

Phoebe gasped softly, as Piper sighed sadly.

"Oh, Piper ..."

Phoebe held her arms out, and Piper walked towards her. The sisters hugged, and it was a few moments before Piper spoke again.

"How did she look?" she asked.

"She hasn't changed a bit," said Phoebe, "She's as beautiful as she always was ... well, except that she seems to be smiling a lot more!"

Piper gave a small laugh.

"You only think that because you two never stopped arguing!"

Phoebe laughed too. Leo, Henry and Sam smiled as the two sisters separated.

Just then, Sandra and Luke the Elders orbed in. Luke deliberately avoided eye contact with Sam.

"We believe we might have some information," said Sandra, as everyone turned to her, "We think that the entity in limbo may be a lost relative ..."

"It is," said Phoebe, "It's Prue."

"How do you know that?" asked Luke.

"Our Mum and Grams told us," said Piper.

"We also know that they are revisiting old memories, believing that Paige has to learn something before she can return," said Phoebe.

"Did Penny tell you that too?" asked Sandra, surprised.

"Oh no, I had an empathy-charged premonition," explained Phoebe.

"Empathy? You've gained your empathy powers back? But how?"

"Well, that's one thing we don't know," said Phoebe.

"Hey, perhaps you could ask the Tribunal," Piper said to the Elders, "See if they know how she got them back."

"What's the Tribunal?" asked Henry.

"A jury consisting of good and evil beings," explained Leo, "They see over magical cases."

Henry nodded in understanding, just as Sandra nodded in agreement.

"We'll see what we can do ..." said Luke.

" ... and we'll let you know if we hear any more news," finished Sandra.

"Thank you," said Piper, as Sandra and Luke orbed away.

"So," said Sam, "It's just a case of waiting, then?"

"Yep," said Phoebe, sighing, "Waiting until Paige learns what she needs to."

"The only question is," said Piper, "how long will that take?"


	12. Chris Perry Halliwell

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Charmed or its characters. The rights belong to WB and Spelling, and this fan-fiction is purely for the entertainment of others.  
**  
Thanks once again to everyone who is reading this story. :)

This chapter focuses on Series 6 and Chris Halliwell.

WARNING: There is one instance of strong language!

* * *

**Chris Perry Halliwell**

Prue and Paige appeared at the foot of the stone steps that led up to the Halliwell Manor. The sun was shining in the sky, and colourful flowers bloomed in the grass patches at the sides of the first landing of the steps.

Chris was sitting at the top of the steps, just in front of the Manor doors. The sisters walked up the steps to join him.

"Where ... I mean, when are we?" asked Paige, confused.

"Just wait," replied Prue, as they passed Chris on the porch, and stood behind him.

Just then, Leo orbed in before them. He was still wearing his golden Elder robes.

"So, have the Elders decided what to do with me yet?" asked Chris.

"Well, you've been the subject of heated discussion," said Leo, "The one thing we agreed upon was ... you can't return to the future."

"I figured as much. The timeline's changed; I wouldn't even know what I'd go back to."

Chris lowered his head for a moment, and then looked back up at Leo.

"So, what did they decide?" he asked.

"The Elders voted ... to make you the Charmed Ones' new whitelighter."

"They did?" asked Chris, surprised.

"As a reward for helping defeat the Titans," said Leo, "but then ... somehow I figured you knew that."

He crossed his arms, as Chris remained silent.

"You know," he continued, "I can't ... stop thinking about what Piper said, and wondering myself ... if this wasn't part of your plan all along ..."

Both Leo and Chris were silent for a few moments, and then Leo spoke again.

"Take good care of them, Chris. Don't forget ... I'll be watching over you."

His body transformed into the blue orbs, and they made their way towards the heavens. Chris, Prue and Paige watched them rise.

Suddenly, Chris swept his hand, and the orbs exploded. Paige gasped in fright and shock, as Chris casually rose to his feet. He walked past Prue and Paige, opened the door and walked  
into the Manor. He then turned and swept his hand again. The door slammed shut.

"Wow!" said Paige, shaking her head at the closed doors.

"I know," said Prue, sighing, "When I first saw this, I admit I had my doubts, but I warmed to him in time."

"So, what about Leo? Where did he go? I mean ... wait a minute," said Paige, gasping, "Is this when Leo was sent to Valhalla?"

"Yep, and as you know, he figured it out and was not too happy with Chris."

"No, he wasn't," said Paige, "and it wasn't the first time that he did something ... questionable."

"Yeah, he tried to trick you into binding Wyatt's powers once," said Prue.

"And there was also his fiancé, uh ..."

"Bianca," said Prue, "and it's funny you mentioned her, because you also learned something when she appeared, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah ..."

The sisters held hands and vanished from the street, reappearing in a flat. Chris was there, along with a young woman with long brunette hair, dressed in a leather suit. On the far wall, there was a chalk drawing of the Charmed triquetra.

"You really expect me to jump into this thing like before?" asked Chris.

"Not without a fight, no," replied Bianca.

Chris scoffed, and walked away from her.

"How can you be so cold?" he asked, turning back to her, "How can you just stand there and pretend like we never meant anything to each other?"

"I don't have a choice!"

"Bianca," said Chris softly, walking towards her, "please don't do this. Don't give up on everything we've fought for."

"I'm not," said Bianca sadly, "I'm just hoping we can find another way ..."

For a moment, she looked as if she might cry, but she quickly composed herself.

"Ready?" she asked. Chris looked at her for a moment, before she stood beside him, both of them facing the chalk triquetra.

Suddenly, Prue and Paige watched Piper, Phoebe and younger Paige orb in.

"Hey, future girl!" yelled Piper.

Chris and Bianca turned around just in time to see Piper throw the potion vial in her hand. Bianca quickly threw an atheme at the vial, which exploded in mid-air, and shimmered away. Piper froze the approaching atheme, but Bianca re-appeared beside Piper, grabbed the atheme and held it before Piper's neck so quickly that Piper appeared to move in slow motion in comparison.

"You were saying?" said Bianca, smirking.

"Wow, she is good!" said Phoebe.

"Ah, ah!" warned Bianca, as Paige tried to move towards her, "I can kill her in half the time it takes you to even think about it."

"Yeah, well, we still have enough potion to vanquish you," said Paige.

"Maybe, but then you really will have to hope that the Power of Two will do, won't you, Paige?"

Bianca looked sideways at Paige, who raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you'd be surprised what's in the history books. Now put the vials down, slowly!"

Phoebe and Paige placed their vials on the ground.

"Bianca, don't!" said Chris, "Let her go, and I promise I'll go with you."

"Chris, what are you doing?" asked Paige.

"If you kill her," continued Chris, ignoring Paige, "there won't be a future for either one of us to go back to, and you know it!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Phoebe.

"You'll see if you live long enough," replied Bianca, finally lowering her atheme. She then joined Chris, and they both turned back to the triquetra.

"Piper, freeze them!" called Paige.

Piper flicked her hands at Bianca and Chris. Neither of them froze.

"Uh, OK, I get why she didn't freeze, but why didn't he freeze?" she said.

"Uh, un-unless he's a ..."

"I'm a witch too?" said Chris, finishing Phoebe's sentence. The three sisters looked at him in shock.

"That's right," he continued, "part witch, part whitelighter – just like you, Paige."

"You lied to us?" said Paige.

"I had to. It was the only way I could get you to trust me."

"Trust you?" said Phoebe in disbelief.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway," said Chris.

"So, that's it?" asked Piper, "You're just gonna leave?"

"I don't have a choice. She stripped my powers."

Piper turned away from Chris.

"Looks like Leo's gonna have to fix that floorboard without me."

Piper turned back to Chris, possibly confused, as Phoebe and Paige looked at her.

"Let's go," said Chris, now looking at Bianca.

Bianca waved her arm before the chalk triquetra, and it suddenly transformed into a blue triquetra-shaped portal. The Halliwells watched as Chris and Bianca took hands and walked towards the portal. Chris took one last look back at the sisters as they walked through. The portal vanished almost as soon as they were gone.

"You know," said older Paige, as she and Prue watched the others orb away, "even although she threatened to kill Piper and stole Chris' powers, I do feel sorry for her."

"Not only did Chris turn on her," said Prue, "but she was killed by evil Wyatt too."

"Poor Chris ..."

The sisters turned to each other, both smiling sadly.

"So, you found out that Chris was half-witch, half-whitelighter," said Prue, "and, despite choosing Bianca, you welcomed him back. However, on your very first trip to Magic School, Phoebe learned something else about Chris ..."

Prue summoned the magical screen. They could see Phoebe standing in the hall of the Manor.

"She's in a powerful vision," explained Prue, as she and Paige watched.

* * *

_Phoebe was looking straight ahead, to a large doorway on the wall. A bright yellow light was shining from it._

_Suddenly, a masked demon appeared to her right, and Phoebe turned to face it. The demon threw a fireball, which missed her, and then ran towards her. As he reached her, however, he faded away, roaring in pain._

_Phoebe continued to walk towards the doorway, but stopped as another demon appeared at her side. He ran towards her and tried to grab her, but he too faded away as he reached her. After walking a few more steps, a third demon dropped down from the roof, and he also faded as he reached her._

_Phoebe walked on, eventually walking through the yellow light. She quickly passed through it, finding herself in the conservatory. She turned to her right, and there she saw two boys. One was blonde, and was standing playing a handheld console, and the younger boy had brown hair. The younger one was sitting on the floor, looking up at the other._

_Just then, Piper walked in to the conservatory from behind the boys. She turned to them._

_"Wyatt," she said, "let your little brother play with the game too, please."_

_"Little brother?" thought Phoebe aloud._

_Just then, Paige walked into the conservatory. Unlike the last memory, her hair was now blonde, and she was wearing a long black robe._

_"Hey, Piper," she said, "can you take Phoebe to the doctor instead? I have so many papers to grade. Thanks."_

_"The doctor?" asked Phoebe, as Paige left._

_"Yeah," said Piper, looking at Phoebe's stomach, "we need to make sure our little niece is OK."_

_As Piper walked past her, Phoebe looked down at her stomach, and was shocked to discover that she was heavily pregnant._

_"Aunt Phoebe!"_

_Phoebe looked up as the younger boy called to her._

_"We need your help!"_

_Just then, everything was a blur as the vision ended. The first thing that Phoebe saw as she awoke was Chris._

_"Phoebe, can you hear me?" he said, "We need your help."_

* * *

"So, that's how she found out," said Paige.

"Yep," said Prue, "and then she confronted him about it."

She waved her arm, and the scene changed. Paige recognised the setting as the back room at Piper's nightclub, p3.

* * *

_Chris walked through the door, followed moments later by Phoebe._

_"Hey," she said._

_"Hey," said Chris, "So have you come to kick me out again?"_

_"Uh, no, actually ... I came here to ask you a question."_

_"What?" asked Chris._

_"I need you to be honest with me," said Phoebe, as she approached Chris, "No games, no running away ... just the truth."_

_"OK," said Chris, nodding._

_Phoebe took a deep breath._

_"Are you ... Wyatt's little brother?"_

_Chris looked sadly at Phoebe, and Phoebe at Chris._

_"Only if I can get Piper and Leo back together in time."_

_Phoebe sighed, and Chris frowned._

* * *

"Aw, he just looks so ... innocent," said Paige softly.

Prue turned to her, and moved her hand soothingly up and down her back. Paige smiled at her.

"So, Phoebe was the first to find out, and then ... me, right?"

"Right," said Prue, smiling as she changed the scene on the screen. It now showed the sitting room o the Halliwell Manor. Piper and Leo were asleep on the couch, and Chris was placing a blanket on them just as a still blonde Paige was walking in.

* * *

_"Think she can scare me?" said Paige, and then seeing Piper and Leo, "They're still asleep? Have you tried ... smelling salts?"_

_"It won't work, trust me," said Chris, as he knelt down beside Piper and Leo._

_"What's wrong with them?"_

_"It's a long story," said Chris._

_"I dunno, why don't you give me the 'cliff-notes' version?" said Paige, and when Chris did not answer, "C'mon, Chris, you and Leo and Phoebe have all been acting weird since before the demon attacked. What's going on?"_

_"Alright," said Chris, rising to his feet, "I made a little wish."_

_"You did **what**?"_

_"**Two** little wishes," said Chris._

_"Oh, great! It's not bad enough that I have to worry about Richard, now I have to worry about you too," said Paige, sighing, " What did you wish for?"_

_"For Leo to forgive me, which, by the way, was an accident."_

_"And?" asked Paige._

_"For Piper and Leo to sleep together."_

_Paige looked disgusted._

_"You...! Oh my gosh, you are sick! What is wrong with you?!?"_

_"No, no, no, no ..."_

_"You're disgusting!"_

_"No, no, no ..."_

_"You are some creepy registered sex offender from the future ...!"_

_"No, no, no ... I'm Piper and Leo's son!"_

_"That is so gross ... **what**?!?"_

_"They're my parents," said Chris, "I came back to save my family."_

_"You're serious ...?" said Paige, shocked._

_"Yeah, only now I've gotta save myself, because if my mum doesn't get pregnant in the next month, there is no me!"_

_"This ... this is all so wrong," said Paige, walking over to a chair and collapsing into it, "and this ... has been such a long day ..."_

* * *

"Richard ..." said Paige, sighing.

"Yeah, you two were quite cute," said Prue, "before Richard became obsessed with magic. After you gave him the binding potion, you two just kinda ... drifted apart."

"Yeah ... well, at least he can have a normal life," said Paige, with a small smile.

"Yeah ..." said Prue, looking at Paige before turning back to the screen, "So, you and Phoebe know both knew about Chris, so now it was the mother's turn to find out ..."

Prue waved her arm, and now the screen showed Piper and Leo's bedroom. Paige, her hair now black, was sitting on a coffee table, while Phoebe was sitting on the bed.

* * *

_Piper walked into the room, and was surprised to see her sisters there._

_"Hi!"_

_Paige looked up, and Phoebe turned around and stood up._

_"Hi," said Phoebe._

_"What's going on?" asked Piper._

_"Maybe, maybe you should sit down for a second."_

_"Oh, that doesn't sound good."_

_"No, no, no, it's good, it's good," said Phoebe nervously, as Piper made her way to the bed, "I mean, it's, you know, it's not **bad** ... it's a, it's a **really** good thing, it's not a bad thing. I think it's a really good thing, don't you think?"_

_"Yeah!" said Paige, "I mean, it depends ... you know ..."_

_"Uh huh ..." said Piper, now sitting on the bed, "that sounds worse."_

_"No, it's, it's, uh, just complicated."_

_"OK," said Piper, "so why don't you guys just tell me what's going on?"_

_"Alright," said Phoebe, taking a deep breath and then turning to Paige, who motioned for her to go first._

_"Uh, Paige and I ... know what happened between you and Leo last night ..."_

_Piper began to laugh nervously._

_"What ... excuse me?"_

_"Not because anyone told us or anything," said Paige, "It's just ... because of Chris."_

_"Chris?" asked Piper, "Why, why would Chris know what happened last night?"_

_"Well, because he wouldn't be here if it didn't," explained Phoebe to a confused Piper, "Yeah, see, we've known for a while: we just didn't know how to talk to you and Leo about it."_

_"Talk to us about **what**?"_

_Phoebe sighed impatiently and turned to Paige._

_"Is this my turn?" asked Paige._

_"Yeah."_

_"Yeah ... uh ..."_

_Paige smiled nervously at Piper, and spoke slowly._

_"Chris is your son."_

_Piper's mouth opened in surprise._

_"Wyatt's brother," said Phoebe quickly, "Look, I know this is huge ..."_

_"No, it's, it's not huge, because it's ... not possible!" said Piper loudly, "It's crazy, 'cause I'm not pregnant!"_

_"Oh!" said Phoebe, looking at Piper's belly, and then together with Paige, "Yeah ..."_

_"No, I'm not!" laughed Piper, "I mean, how could that happen? I mean, I KNOW how that can happen, but ... it ..."_

_Piper stopped mid-speech, as she realised the truth._

_"Well, what am I gonna do?"_

_"Maybe you should talk to Leo about it," said Phoebe, as Paige nodded in agreement._

_"No, I can't!" said Piper._

_"Why?"_

_"Well, because, because, because I can't!"_

_Phoebe and Paige sighed, lost for ideas. Just then, Chris stopped in the doorway._

_"Is this a bad time?"_

_Piper turned around and stared in shock at Chris. Her son looked back at her sadly._

* * *

"And last but not least," said Prue, "the father found out ..."

She waved her arm, and the scene changed to the hall of the Manor. Phoebe and Paige were there, as was a Piper-shaped web cocoon hanging on the wall.

* * *

_Leo orbed in before the sisters. He was wearing a golden Elder robe, and trainers, which looked oddly out of place._

_"Phoebe, Paige, how are you?" he asked, in a serene voice._

_"Well, not so good, we have a problem!" said Phoebe._

_"Perhaps we should meditate."_

_Phoebe laughed nervously, as Leo smiled widely._

_"No, I don't wanna meditate," said Paige, "Piper. Right there."_

_She pointed to the cocoon, and Leo turned to it._

_"Ah, the Spider Demon ..." said Leo, looking at the cocoon, "She cocoons her victims before feeding on them."_

_"Great! Well, can you get her outta there?"_

_"Uh, well, the only way to get her outta there is to vanquish the Spider Demon," said Leo, "but it's OK, the cocoon is meant for preservation, so ... she's safe for now."_

_"Good," said Phoebe softly, "That means Chris is too."_

_"Chris? He's, he's in there too?"_

_"No, he's not in there, Leo," said Paige, "He's in the basement."_

_"Yeah, he was acting a little crazy, so ... I locked him in the basement," said Phoebe._

_"Yeah, after the Spider Demon infected him, kinda went a little crazy, went after her ..."_

_"I'll talk to him," said Leo._

_"Ai!" called Paige, as Leo walked past them through into the kitchen, "Be ... careful. Good thinking, yeah ..."_

_Phoebe and Paige watched Leo until he was out of sight._

_"I'm telling you, he has a right to know," said Phoebe._

_"No, he doesn't!" said Paige._

_"Paige, Chris is his **son**!"_

_"Phoebe, if **Piper** can't tell him, then I don't think we should."_

_"Well, I don't know how much longer I can go without telling him," said Phoebe._

_"Well, you'll just have to hold it ..."_

_"Bastard!"_

_Phoebe and Paige jumped in fright as they heard Chris' yell. They ran through the hall and dining room into the kitchen, just in time to see Leo shut the basement door._

_"What happened?" asked Paige._

_"He attacked me!" said Leo, shocked._

_"I tried to warn you ..."_

_"He's got issues," said Phoebe._

_"Issues?" asked Leo, approaching the sisters._

_"Yeah, from being **infected**," said Paige, turning to Phoebe._

_"I think his issues precede that, don't you, Paige?" said Phoebe, smiling nervously._

_"Something you're not telling me?" asked Leo._

_"Uh, actually ..."_

_"NO!" yelled Paige, interrupting Phoebe._

_"Look, he's gonna find out sooner or later, and I'm gonna bust!"_

_"Find out what?" asked Leo._

_"If he's gonna help us, we're gonna have to tell him!" said Phoebe to Paige._

_"It's Piper's business!" said Paige._

_"Tell me **what**?"_

_Phoebe turned back to Leo, and as she looked at his face, she groaned as she felt she could not hold it in any longer._

_"Uhh ... Chris is your son!"_

_As Paige sighed in frustration, Leo stared at Phoebe, lost for words. He gave a small wheezy laugh of shock._

_"Don't we all feel better?" asked Phoebe, smiling widely, "I know I feel **so** much better!"_

_Leo walked past the sisters, and sat down on a chair at the table._

_"How ...?"_

_"Uh, spirit realm, six months ago, you and Piper ... Leo, she's pregnant!" said Phoebe._

* * *

"So, you now all knew that Chris was Piper and Leo's son," said Prue, as the screen vanished, "and you all worked together to destroy all possible threats to Wyatt."

"Yeah, but we never found the true threat to Wyatt until it was too late," said Paige.

"Yep, and unfortunately, Chris was the one who suffered because of it ..."

Holding hands, the sisters then vanished from the flat, re-appearing in the Manor attic. They could see Wyatt in his playpen, and Chris flicking through the Book of Shadows.

Suddenly, a floorboard creaked. Chris looked up from the Book and around the attic, but no-one was there.

"Hello?" he asked, but there was no answer.

As he looked back down at the Book, Paige too looked around the attic.

"What was that?" she asked.

"You'll see ..." said Prue, looking sadly at Chris.

The floorboards began to creak again. Chris walked quickly over to the playpen, looking around the attic, but again, he could not see anyone.

The footsteps began to get louder, and Paige began to breathe nervously.

"OK," said Chris, turning to Wyatt, "it's time to get you outta here."

Just then, his body flew through the air, and he crashed into a mound of furniture and boxes. As he fell to the floor, a man dressed in a black robe appeared in a flash of black smoke beside the playpen. He turned to Chris as he rose to his feet.

"Don't make me sacrifice you both," said Gideon the Elder.

He turned to Wyatt, and Chris threw his arm out towards him. Gideon flew through the air to the side, and onto the wooden floor. He raised his head, and conjured an atheme in his hand.

As he vanished in the black smoke, Chris ran towards the playpen. However, Gideon suddenly appeared before him, and stabbed Chris in the stomach. As Chris groaned in pain, regret  
and guilt flowed through Gideon as he pulled out the atheme.

"Dad ...!" gasped Chris, before he fell to the floor. Gideon then rose to his feet, and made his way to the playpen. He lifted Wyatt and cradled him in his arms, just as Leo orbed in. Leo fell to his knees, and tried to comfort Chris.

"Wyatt ...!" gasped Chris.

Leo looked up, and saw Gideon holding Wyatt.

"It's for the best, Leo," said Gideon, before he and Wyatt orbed away in purple orbs.

Leo turned back to Chris, and placed his hands on his body. The father and son then orbed away.

"Evil son of a ...!"

"I know," said Prue, "but don't forget, you managed to save him, in a sense."

"Yeah, but we still lost him first ..."

* * *

With the familiar flash, the sisters appeared in the upstairs hall of the Manor. The only other person there was younger Paige.

"Leo!" she yelled, "Leo!"

Leo then orbed in beside her.

"Sorry, I was in the Underworld, looking for ..."

He stopped as he saw the look on Paige's face.

"What's wrong?"

A bedroom door opened, and out walked a couple of armed policemen, followed by Darryl Morris and a woman dressed in red with long, blonde hair.

"What's going on?" asked Leo, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Nothing," replied Inspector Sheridan, "We didn't have to."

Leo looked from her to Darryl.

"I'm sorry, Leo," said Darryl solemnly.

Leo walked past them to the bedroom doorway, with the three sisters slowly following.

"Chris!"

"Hey," replied Chris weakly, as Sheridan and Darryl left.

"Hey!" said Leo softly, as Paige appeared at the doorway, "I'm here now, you can ... hold on, OK? Hold on, hold on. I'm here, you can hold on, OK?"

Chris nodded sadly, as Prue and Paige walked past younger Paige into the bedroom.

"Don't give up, OK?" whispered Leo.

"You either ..."

Paige turned to her younger self, and saw the tears falling from her eyes. She then turned back to Chris, as tears formed in her own eyes.

Just then, Chris' head slowly turned and his breathing was slower.

"No, no, no, please ..." whispered Leo, as the sisters silently wept, "No ... no please, no ..."

His head rested in Chris' chest, as he sobbed. Chris stopped breathing, and his body slowly began to fade.

As Chris Perry Halliwell faded into non-existence, Leo's head fell softly onto the bed. His arm swept across the spot where Chris once lay, and he continued to sob into the duvet as younger Paige cried, and Prue and older Paige embraced each other.

"I'm not denying that this was heartbreaking," said Prue, "Believe me, the first time I saw this, I think I cried harder than you."

Paige gave a small sob.

"However, don't forget, we never truly lost him."

* * *

They vanished from the Manor, reappearing in the corridor of a hospital. Just before them, they saw Phoebe and younger Paige pacing back and forth, looking nervous.

Phoebe then turned and looked right through Prue and Paige, her eyes wide, as younger Paige stopped beside her. Prue and Paige turned and saw Leo emerging from the crowd, holding Wyatt in his arms.

"He found him," said Phoebe, as Paige looked up. They then both approached him, and Phoebe took Wyatt in her arms.

"Hey!" she said softly, smiling, as Prue smiled too.

"Is he OK?" asked Paige, running her hand through Wyatt's hair.

"Yeah," replied Leo, "He wasn't with Gideon long enough to do any damage."

"What happened to Gideon?" asked Paige seriously, looking at Leo.

Leo looked silently at Phoebe and Paige, and both sisters understood.

"How's Piper?" he asked.

"She's resting comfortably."

Phoebe and Paige turned as Leo looked up. A surgeon dressed in white walked towards them.

"Is she ok?" asked Phoebe

"We stopped the bleeding," said Dr. Roberts, "Obviously had to perform a C-section, but I think she's gonna be OK."

Younger Paige sighed with relief.

"And the baby, is he alright?" asked Leo.

"You tell me ..."

Dr. Roberts pressed the button on the wall beside him, and the doors to the Recovery room opened. Everyone, including Prue and Paige, walked towards the doors. They saw two doctors pushing the bed in which Piper lay gently to the wall, while a female nurse approached Dr. Roberts. She carried a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms.

"Congratulations," said Dr. Roberts, "He's perfectly healthy."

"Really?" asked Leo, as the nurse handed him his son.

"Oh, look, he's beautiful," said Phoebe, smiling warmly, "Baby Christopher."

She then turned to Wyatt.

"That's your brother."

"Looks like we didn't lose him after all," said Paige softly.

Leo smiled proudly down upon baby Chris, as Phoebe, Paige and Wyatt looked on. Older Paige smiled, and turned to Prue. She was smiling, though her eyes were watery.

"Oh, Prue," said Paige, as she put her arm on Prue's shoulders, "I swear, this whole journey has made you an emotional wreck!"

Prue laughed, as she wiped her eyes. She then turned to Paige, still smiling.

"Can we see Piper?" asked Phoebe, as Prue and Paige turned back.

"Well, maybe just one of you for now," said Dr. Roberts.

Leo turned to the sisters and then back to Chris.

"Go tell her we love her," said Phoebe to him.

Leo looked up again, and Paige nodded in agreement. He smiled at them before he walked into the Recovery room.

"Where'd the baby go?" Phoebe said to Wyatt, "That's your brother."

The four sisters watched as Leo approached Piper's bed. They saw Piper look up at him and smile widely, before Leo handed her the baby. She cradled him in her arms and looked at him lovingly.

She then turned to the open doors, and smiled at Phoebe and Paige, who smiled back. Prue and older Paige smiled too, even although they knew Piper could not see them.

As Piper turned back to him and then the baby, Leo turned round and grinned at the sisters. He then turned back as the Recovery doors slowly closed.

"They'd been through a lot that year, we all had ..." said Paige, sighing, "but none of that mattered, once we'd seen baby Chris for the first time."

"Yeah ..." said Prue softly, "That Chris will grow up to be a true Halliwell."

Paige gave a small smile, but Prue sighed sadly.

"What is it?" asked Paige, turning to her.

"Well, you know, the birth of Chris meant that he never truly died, so everyone was happy ... at least, for a short while ..."

"Ah!" said Paige sadly, as she understood, "but then came Leo's fall from grace ..."

They took hands and vanished.


	13. Fall From Grace Part 1

**I am so so SO sorry for the huge delay in this story. Life got in the way! :P**

**I promise that future updates will be sooner. Enjoy the continuation of Sisters, and thanks again to all the dedicated followers! ;)**

**

* * *

**

Fall from Grace (Part 1)

"So, it's true? Prue really _is_ with Paige?"

Billie was on her phone, in conversation with Piper, who was telling her about all that had occurred in Magic School.

"That's good news, right?" she said, "That means Paige is coming back?"

Meanwhile, Lauren was still sitting in the armchair, watching the local news on the television. However, she was only doing so half-heartedly, instead trying to listen in on Billie and Piper's conversation.

"That's fantastic!" said Billie, "I'm just ... so ... well, you know ... OK, um, let us know of any news, OK? Bye ..."

Lauren turned to her right as Billie walked in from the hall, wiping her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Lauren.

"It was Piper," said Billie, falling into another armchair, "Apparently, uh, Phoebe had some sort of 'empathy-charged premonition' ..."

"A what?" asked Lauren.

"Oh, Phoebe got back a power she had lost a few years back – empathy, the power to feel the emotions of others. Anyway, apparently, Phoebe sensed a strong essence form Paige, and because of that and her power of premonition ..."

"Premonition?" said Lauren, stunned, "Phoebe can have _premonitions_?"

"Of the past and future," said Billie, "Anyway, her powers combined gave her a powerful premonition which allowed her to see Paige and Prue in limbo. It turns out that they are stuck in limbo, and they cannot leave until they go through past memories and Paige learns something important."

"What?"

"No-one knows," said Billie, "but Phoebe said that Paige seemed very eager to come back, and Prue was trying to help her, so hopefully they'll find out the answer soon."

"But how do you know Paige will return?" asked Lauren, "What if she ...?"

"Don't think like that, honey. We're going to get Paige back!"

"But how can you be so sure?" asked Lauren.

Billie sighed as she rose to her feet. She made her way over to Lauren's armchair and kneeled down before it.

"Listen, one thing I've learned since becoming a witch is that everything happens for a reason. Now, considering that Prue was even _able_ to get into limbo and stop Paige from moving on, then surely Paige must be able to come back, or at the very least, have the _option_ to do so, right?"

"I guess ..." said Lauren.

"And judging by Paige's determination, she _wants_ to come back. Therefore, she will come back – we just don't know _when_."

"I guess that does make sense," said Lauren, shrugging, "I'm just ... scared, you know?"

"I know," said Billie, "As optimistic as I am, I'm a bit scared too, but remember, you can't lose faith."

Lauren gave a small smile.

"Thanks, Billie."

"For what?" asked Billie.

"For everything you've done," explained Lauren, "You know, helping Paige, looking out for me ... being a good ..."

She stopped, and lowered her head. Her cheeks had turned red.

"What is it?" asked Billie.

"Oh nothing," said Lauren, avoiding eye-contact, "I'm being silly. You probably don't feel the same way ..."

"What do you mean?" asked Billie, "What were you going to say?"

Lauren stayed quiet.

"C'mon, tell me. You can trust me, and I promise I won't laugh!"

Lauren gave a small laugh before looking up at Billie. She sighed.

"I was going to say ... thanks for ... being a good friend."

Billie smiled warmly.

"But now that I know the truth," said Lauren quickly, "you probably just see me as another soul in need of guidance, and that's OK, seriously. I'm not offended that you obviously don't feel the same way ... I should have thought ... it's just, it's been such an emotional day, and ..."

"Lauren."

Lauren stopped, and Billie sighed softly.

"It's OK," she said, "The truth is ... I _do_ feel the same."

"Seriously?" asked Lauren, "You're not just saying this to make me feel better?"

"No, I'm being serious," said Billie, and Lauren smiled again, "It's been nice, you know, having someone my own age to talk to. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Piper, and Phoebe, and Paige, and all the Halliwells – they've been like a family to me, especially since ..."

Billie bowed her head.

"Since you lost your real family," said Lauren sympathetically, placing her hand on Billie's shoulder.

"Yeah," said Billie softly, raising her head, "They helped me through the grief, and I am now in a happier place, all thanks to them. Anyway, as much as I love them, I really have loved spending time with you. Lauren, after all the time we've spent together, and the occasional girlie chats that we've had ..."

Lauren gave a small laugh.

"... I have grown to care about you, as much as I did Christie."

Lauren's eyes grew wide.

"Billie," she said softly, "are you saying ... that you think of me ... as a _sister_?"

"Yes, I do," said Billie, rising to her feet, "Truly."

Lauren rose to her feet, speechless. For a few moments, she stared at Billie, and appeared to be on the verge of tears. All of a sudden, she hugged Billie, who seemed shocked at first. However, she then returned the hug.

"Thanks, Billie," said Lauren.

"Anytime," said Billie.

Suddenly, the girls heard a booming sound from above them. They separated, looking up at the ceiling.

"What was that?" said Lauren.

"I don't know," replied Billie.

"What if it's them? The darklighters?"

"Well, if it is, don't worry – there's no way they're getting in!" said Billie.

"What do you mean?" asked Lauren.

"Piper and I have magically protected the house. No evil can get in, so as long as you stay in the Manor, you're safe."

"OK ..." said Lauren softly, falling back into the armchair.

"Hey, you can trust me," said Billie, as she knelt down beside her, "I would never let anything happen to you."

Lauren turned to Billie, and sighed.

"Thanks ... again."

"Hey, what are sisters for?" said Billie, as she got to her feet and sat in a nearby armchair, watching the movie that had just begun on the television.

Lauren turned to it too, as she took a deep breath. She was still worried that the darklighters would find her, but she also felt safe in the knowledge that she could count on her friend Billie to be there for her if they did.

* * *

  
Prue and Paige appeared upon the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was night, and they could see an Elder standing before them. His head was raised upwards, eyes closed and arms raised.  
All of a sudden, in a flash of fire, Barbas appeared behind him. Paige gasped as he looked around, before flaming away.

"What was he doing here?" asked Paige.

Just then, in a flash of lightning, Leo appeared behind the Elder. He was wearing Hindu-styled clothing, and he looked around as the Elder turned around.

"Leo," said Zola.

"Barbas, where is he?" asked Leo.

"Barbas?"

Just then, a transparent projection of Barbas appeared beside Leo, which apparently only Prue and Paige could see.

"How many times do you have to go through all this before you realise they're all working together?" it said.

As it talked, Leo's expression became angrier. As the projection vanished, he raised his arms, his hands clawed as if to attack.

"Leo, don't do this," said Zola, "You know better."

"He's after your boy, I'm after your boy, they're all after your boy," said the Barbas projection, "That's why it's your greatest fear."

It vanished again.

"WHERE IS HE, DAMNIT?!?" roared Leo.

"Wait, listen to me, Leo, don't do this!" pleaded Zola.

"Kill him. Kill them all!"

As the projection vanished again, Leo roared in anger as bolts of lightning shot out from his hands, hitting Zola. Leo forced him against the steel wall, and Zola yelled in pain as Leo continued to electrocute him. The Barbas projection re-appeared, grinning evilly at what was happening, as Paige just stared in shock.

Eventually, Zola's body exploded in a flash of fire, and the lightning vanished as Leo lowered his arms.

"Ah, my, my, my, my, my," said the Barbas projection, "what have we gone and done now?"

The projection vanished for the final time, and Leo looked at his hands and the steel wall, shocked at what he had done. He then vanished in another flash of lightning.

"My gosh ..." said Paige softly, "I mean, I knew that he killed Zola, but I had no idea it was this ... intense."

"Yeah, well, don't forget," said Prue, "He had a power boost from being a Hindu god, he had a distrust of Elders after what Gideon did, Barbas had tried to kidnap both his sons _and_ of course, there's Barbas' influence."

"Yeah," said Paige, "Makes me even happier that we vanquished him."

"Yeah, but vanquishing Barbas didn't really help Leo, especially when the green heads appeared."

Prue summoned the magical screen before them. The sisters could see Leo in an Underworld lair, crouched down by the ashes of Barbas.

* * *

_He picked up a handful of the ashes, and he watched sadly as they trickled through his fingers._

_"Barbas was right."_

_Leo looked up and rose to his feet. He looked around the cavernous lair to find the source of the echoing voice._

_"Killing him doesn't end the pain of betrayal," it said._

_"Who the hell are you?" said Leo, "What do you want?"_

_"What do we want?"_

_Leo turned around to see a floating green demonic head fly towards him._

_"We want YOU!"_

_The head vanished before Leo, and a gust of wind blew in his face as he gasped in fear._

_

* * *

_

"Oh yeah," said Paige, "We all thought he was losing his mind."

"That is, until you saw it too," said Prue, waving her arm.

The scene changed to a different cave in the Underworld. A demon was pacing across the length of it, shouting at the ceiling.

_

* * *

_

_"What else do you want from me?" he asked, "I did what you asked. You've got to protect me – they'll find me."_

_"We already have."_

_The demon stopped and turned around. Phoebe, a now brunette Paige and Piper stood at the entrance to the cave._

_"Who were you talking to?" asked Paige, as they began to approach the demon. He began to shimmer away, but Piper froze him mid-shimmer, leaving his body slightly distorted._

_Piper flicked her hand, and the demon's head unfroze._

_"What happened?" he asked, "Did you just freeze me?"_

_"She asked you a question," said Piper. The demon stayed silent._

_"Would you rather I blew you up?"_

_"Wait!" said the demon, "Don't!"_

_He sighed._

_"If I tell you, they'll kill me!"_

_"If you don't tell us, **we'll** kill you," said Phoebe._

_"You may want to pick your poison," said Paige._

_The demon sighed again._

_"They're more powerful than anything you've ever seen," he said._

_"Who is?" asked Piper._

_Suddenly, the green demonic head flew past between the sisters and the demon._

_"NO!" yelled the demon, as the head flew past him, shooting lightning bolts out of its eyes toward him._

_As they hit him, the head vanished, and the demon was covered in electricity. His body then exploded in a flash of fire._

_"Well, I guess Leo wasn't seeing things after all," said Paige._

_"Can we get out of here now, please?" asked Phoebe, and Paige nodded._

_"Whoever you are," called Piper, surveying the cave, "stay away from my husband!"_

_She and Phoebe then took Paige's hands and the three of them orbed away._

* * *

"Of course, it wasn't long after this when you found out about the Avatars," said Prue, as the screen vanished.

"Yeah, but not before Leo became one of them," said Paige.

"Yep," said Prue, "Now, Paige, we're going to enter a vision quest that Leo entered. It's where he first discovered the Avatars."

"You mean, like Phoebe's?" asked Paige.

"In a sense ..."

_

* * *

_

The sounds of explosions filled the air, along with rubble and clouds of dust. Soldiers everywhere were shouting orders, helping others or preparing to fight.

One soldier in particular was helping tend to a wounded soldier in one of the makeshift huts. Paige recognised him almost instantly.

"Leo ..."

Suddenly, one of the huts exploded in a blast of fire. Paige instinctively dropped down to the ground, as Prue crouched down.

As they looked around, they then noticed another Leo on the ground behind a jeep, peering out at the battlefield. Judging by his clothing (shirt and jeans), they could tell that this was the Leo sent on the quest.

Gunshots began to pierce the ground, and Leo quickly moved behind it to avoid the bullets.

"What's going on?" he yelled, "What am I doing here?"

"Don't worry, Dad."

Leo, Paige and Prue looked up at the jeep, and both Leo and Paige were shocked to see adult Chris sitting upon it.

"I'm gonna help you through this," said Chris.

"Chris?"

"That's right," said Chris, dropping down from the jeep, to crouch down beside Leo. He smiled at him.

"I don't understand," said Leo, "If I'm in the past, what are you doing here?"

"I'm guiding you," replied Chris.

"So you're real?"

"No," said Chris, "But I represent something that is. I died in your arms, Dad – killed by everything you thought was good. I'm your root pain, OK, and I'm gonna be sticking with you until you're ready to let me go."

"How will I know when that is?" asked Leo.

Chris smiled.

"C'mon," he said, rising to his feet, "let's check out some parts of your life that you really need to remember."

He held out his hand to Leo.

"Do I have a choice?" asked Leo.

"Hey, it's your vision quest," said Chris, "It's up to you."

Leo looked at Chris' hand and then up to his face.

"C'mon."

Leo took Chris' hand, and almost instantly, everything went white. A moment later, the loud sounds of the war had vanished, and Paige and Leo were shocked to find themselves in a dark alley at night.

"Where are we now?" asked Paige and Leo, at the same time.

Both Chris and Prue turned, their arms crossed. Paige and Leo did the same, and they saw Piper and Leo sitting on the ground. The past Leo placed his hand on Piper's face, and Piper smiled sadly.

"I never stopped loving you," he said.

Piper sobbed, allowing Leo to caress her face. She then leaned forward, and the two of them kissed passionately.

"That feeling's what it's all about, Dad," said Chris, "You died fighting evil in the war, then you were reborn as a whitelighter to fight evil again. That led you to Mum, love, to all that's good ..."

Leo continued to look at himself and Piper, and felt his eyes water. Paige turned from Leo to the couple, and smiled widely. She felt Prue's hand run up and down her back.

Suddenly, everything went white again, and moments later, the four of them were in the Manor hall. In the adjoining dining room, they could all see Piper sitting on the table, with Leo, Paige and Victor by her sides. Phoebe was there too, holding a baby in her arms.

"Is that what I think it is?" said the red-headed Paige.

"... to the day Wyatt was born," said Chris.

Leo walked through the hall towards the family, the others following.

"Uh, if you're referring to Mr. Winkie between the legs, yes," said Phoebe.

"It's a boy," said the redheaded Paige.

"I got a boy?" said the past Leo.

Leo stopped just before the doorway to the dining room, and watched Phoebe hand Piper baby Wyatt. Piper smiled widely as she cradled him, and the past Leo smiled proudly.

"It's a miracle," said the red-headed Paige.

"A little miracle," said Piper.

The older Paige, Prue and Chris turned to Leo, whose eyes were wet and mouth took the form of a small smile.

Everything turned white again. They were now back in the hospital hall.

" ... to the day when I was born."

Leo walked away from Chris, as he watched the nurse hand Leo baby Chris.

"Oh, he's beautiful," said Phoebe, "Baby Christopher."

She turned to Wyatt, whom she was holding.

"That's your brother."

"Looks like we didn't lose him after all," said younger Paige.

Younger Leo smiled at Phoebe and Paige.

"Do you understand now?" said older Chris, "All the pain, all the sacrifices, it's all been for good. That's what you're all about, Dad. That's what you've always been about. That's what the future's about, too."

Leo looked at his younger self carrying his son, and the tears fell down his cheeks.

"You just need to believe in that again."

"Can we see her?" said Phoebe in the distance.

"Go," said Chris, "Your family's waiting for you."

Chris then faded away. Leo took one last look at his family, before he sniffed and closed his tear-filled eyes. Paige sighed contentedly, smiling.

Suddenly, Prue grabbed her hand.

"Prue, what ...?"

Before she had finished, they had vanished.

* * *

  
They were standing in a white plain, the ground of which was shrouded in cloud. There were also tombstones scattered around.

"Prue, where are we?" asked Paige, looking around, slightly scared.

"Still in Leo's subconscious," explained Prue.

"On the vision quest?"

"No," said Prue, "Leo had awoken from that, but then one of the green monster heads possessed him, which brought him here."

Sure enough, moments later, the sisters saw Leo rise into a sitting position. He looked around, looking as scared as Paige felt. Suddenly, the grey-bearded Avatar appeared before them.

"Who are you?" asked Leo, "What do you want?"

"I want you to see the truth, Leo," said Alpha, "I want you to see the real future."

He motioned to the nearest tombstone. The three of them looked at it, and both Leo and Paige were shocked as they read:

**HALLIWELL:  
Penny Patty Prue  
Piper Phoebe Paige  
Wyatt Chris**

Leo slowly rose to his feet, eyes still on the marble tombstone. He then turned to Alpha.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked, "I want to get out of here!"

"You can't leave yet, Leo," said Alpha, "You're not ready. You haven't seen what you need to see."

"Why are you haunting me?"

"Haunting?" said Alpha, chortling, "No. The creature heads were a necessary part of guiding you to the truth ... to the truth that lies beyond good and evil. To us."

"Us?"

"Avatars," explained Alpha, "We are a power – one that offers a better way, a solution to this. You see, Leo, the future Chris failed to mention the death of all the people that you love. Sometimes peaceful, sometimes painful but always inevitable ... and all well before their time."

"Death is a part of life," said Leo.

"Natural death, yes, but not death caused by the pointless, endless battles between good and evil."

"It's not pointless, it's necessary," said Leo, "and when good wins ..."

"Wins? Duality is self perpetuating – it feeds only on itself. That's why the battle has been raging since the dawn of time: there is no winner."

"There can be," said Leo.

"How?" asked Alpha, "With good there is always evil, so the battle never ends, not until there is nothing left. That is the future your battle is leading to: neither good, nor evil ... only nothing."

Alpha waved his arm and suddenly their surroundings turned pitch black. There was nothing except black darkness everywhere.

"No ..." said Paige softly.

"No!" yelled Leo, looking around.

"I'm afraid so," said Alpha, "This is the end."

"What do you mean, this is the end? The end of what?"

"The end of the battle, between good and evil," said Alpha, "Its outcome. Mutual destruction and the eternal void that necessarily follows."

"How is this possible?" asked Leo, turning to Alpha.

"I'm afraid it's unavoidable – a flawed design. There is, however, another way, a better way. That is what we represent, Leo, but we'll need your help to implement it, and the Charmed Ones, of course, when they're ready."

"What way is that?" asked Leo.

"Utopia," said Alpha, smiling, "A world where good and evil no longer exist. Where the battle is behind you, behind everyone. A world where you and Piper no longer have to suffer through the obstacles that have kept you apart."

"What's the catch?"

"Only the courage to change ..." said Alpha. He then turned to his side, worry in his face.

"... Unless it's already too late."

Paige opened her mouth as if to speak, but before she could, Prue had grabbed her hand and they had vanished again.

* * *

"You know, you really need to stop doing that!"

They had appeared in the hall of the Manor.

"Sorry," said Prue, "but we were in a memory within a memory. I just wanted to be careful."

"I'm sorry, what ...?"

"Piper? PIPER!"

Paige jumped in fright, and looked up to see Leo sprint down the stairs. She watched him run down to the hall floor.

"Oh my gosh!"

She now saw Piper, lying on the floor, a bladed glove in her stomach.

Paige walked a few steps forward, and instinctively turned to her right. As she expected, she saw Phoebe lying on the dining room floor, a large wound on her stomach.

As she looked back to Piper, she saw Leo kneeling beside her. She then saw Alpha walk down the stairs to reach Leo.

"Why did you do this?" Leo sobbed.

"We didn't do this, Leo, evil did," said Alpha, "It might not be too late though to reverse it ... if you join us."

"You can save them?" said Leo sadly, as Paige sighed.

"We can save everyone, Leo ... with your help."

Leo turned his head slightly towards Alpha, and then back to Piper. He nodded slowly.

"So be it."

Alpha smiled as he held out his hands. White light shone from his hands onto Leo's back, and Leo glowed for a few moments, as the light faded.

"Welcome to the fold."

"What do I do next?" asked Leo.

"Heal them," replied Alpha.

"I can't heal them, they're dead!"

"You're an Avatar, now, Leo – you have all you need," said Alpha, "You have the powers!"

He then vanished, as Leo rose to his feet. He looked at Piper and Phoebe, before holding his hands out.

The same white light shone out from his hands, one beam onto Piper's stomach and the other onto Phoebe's. He sighed sadly as the light slowly healed both of the sisters.

Suddenly, in the familiar blue orbs, Paige appeared in the hall, along with a black-haired man with cuts and bruises upon his face. As soon as they had appeared, they turned to Leo, and were surprised at what they saw.

"Leo?" said Paige.

Leo's eyes turned, almost guiltily, to Paige for a moment, before turning back to Piper.

"Kyle ..."

Older Paige was staring in shock at the man standing beside her younger self.

"Yeah," said Prue, "You really liked him, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did ..."

They both turned back to Leo, just as the beams of light faded. Almost immediately, Piper began to stir and groan. Similar sounds from the other room confirmed that Phoebe was also awakening.

"Piper ..."

"You're back," said Piper softly.

Leo helped Piper to her feet, smiling. Paige ran over to Phoebe and helped her to her feet.

"I thought I was ..."

"Dead?" finished Phoebe.

Piper sighed.

"Where did you get that?" asked Paige, looking at the amulet in Phoebe's hand.

"From the demon, I guess," said Phoebe.

"So, that's it? It's over?" asked Kyle.

Everyone turned to Kyle as he spoke, and then Piper turned to Leo.

"Is it?" she asked him.

Leo shrugged.

"I've never seen you heal like that, Leo," said Paige.

Leo did not respond.

"Did something happen to you?" asked Piper.

"What do you mean?" asked Leo.

"In the vision quest, you seemed like you were in pain."

"Yeah ..." said Leo, "well ... something I had to go through, I guess ... to see the truth."

Older Paige sighed deeply. Prue looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"It's just ... Kyle ..."

"I know," said Prue softly, "You really did care for him, even with his Avatar obsession."

"Yeah, well, he did believe they killed his parents," said Paige.

"But they didn't."

"True, but he was right not to trust them," insisted Paige.

"You're right," said Prue, "but you can't blame Leo and our sisters for wanting a life without demons ... especially after Phoebe got that premonition."

"Oh, yeah, Piper told me about that," said Paige, "I wonder what she saw ..."

"I can show you."

* * *

They were now standing in a public park, just outside a school. A gentle breeze skimmed across the lush grass and emerald leaves of the trees, as the sun shone warmly upon the parents greeting their children.

"Wow, everything seems so much ... brighter than usual," said Paige.

As she looked around, her eyes found a woman dressed in white and grey standing not too far in front of her. She was facing the school, and her long brunette hair shone in the sunlight.

"Is that ...?"

"Phoebe," said Prue, as she led the way towards her.

As they reached her, Prue and Paige spotted three children running towards them.

"Hi, Aunt Phoebe!" called the older of the two boys.

"Hi, Wyatt," said Phoebe, "Hi, big guy!"

The younger boy smiled too, as the young girl reached Phoebe.

"Mummy! Mummy!"

"Mummy ...?" said Paige softly.

"Ooh, hi!" said Phoebe, as she hugged her daughter, spinning around as she lifted her. She then placed her carefully on the ground.

"What are you doing, my little ladybug?" asked Phoebe, kneeling before the girl.

"Mummy, Chris was scaring me about the demons again."

"Chris, it's not nice to tease," said Phoebe, turning to Chris. She then turned back to her daughter.

"What did I tell you about the demons? They don't exist anymore ... not since the Avatars."

As Paige walked around, she saw the little girl smile widely before hugging her mother.

"Aw!" said Phoebe softly, as she returned the hug. Prue walked over to Paige, and put her arm around her.

"Now, you can see why Phoebe was with the Avatars."

"She's wanted kids for so long," whispered Paige, "She'd be a great mum."

"Yeah, she would," said Prue, smiling, "and she saw Utopia as the perfect world to raise her daughter in."

The sisters watched Phoebe get to her feet, and lead the children on their way home.

"Alpha told Leo that our world was a 'flawed design'," said Prue, "Ironic, really, considering how 'flawed' their idea of a perfect world was."

"Yeah, a world without conflict ..." said Paige.

"... no matter how small. Anyone who caused conflict ... had to go."

"And no-one was allowed to grieve those who had died," said Paige, "They just ... moved on almost instantly."

"Not such a perfect world after all ..." said Prue, with a sigh.

"Kyle was right not to trust them ..."

Paige sighed, lowering her head. Prue took her hand gently, using her free hand to conjure the magical screen once again. They watched Paige orb into a small apartment.

_

* * *

_

_"Kyle? Are you here?"_

_"Yeah I'm right here," replied Kyle, walking out of another room. Paige sighed in relief as she turned to him._

_"Are you OK?" she asked, "Did he hurt you?"_

_"Did who hurt me?"_

_"Zankou," replied Paige, "C'mon, we have to get you out of here."_

_"W-wait," said Kyle, "Why?"_

_"Because he thinks you still have the potion. He'll kill you!"_

_"Yeah, don't you think he would have killed me by now?" said Kyle, walking away from Paige._

_Paige turned to follow his movements._

_"Well ... that's why he's keeping you awake," she said, walking towards him, "because he thinks you still have it."_

_"He's not the one keeping me awake, Paige. It's the Avatars."_

_Paige looked at Kyle, confused._

_"It's Beta."_

_"OK, but she said Zankou did it," said Paige._

_"Maybe you oughta call her here," said Kyle._

_Paige continued to look at Kyle suspiciously for a few moments, as he cleared his throat nervously. She then looked to the side, calling "Beta?"_

_In a flash of white light, a tanned woman in a black cloak appeared. Paige and Kyle turned to her._

_"What's the matter?" asked Beta._

_Paige and Kyle walked towards her, as she looked up at Kyle._

_"Why isn't he asleep?"_

_"You told me Zankou did it," said Paige._

_"I did not," said Beta._

_"Yes you did," said Paige, "What the hell is going on?"_

_Beta looked up at Kyle, a trace of fear in her eyes. Kyle looked back with anger, as he pulled out a small red crystal from his pocket. He raised it high, and then threw it to the ground._

_The crystal smashed, and Paige's skin flashed red for a second._

_"What was that?" Paige said softly, as Beta looked from where the crystal smashed to Kyle, the fear still in her eyes._

_"I wanted to make sure that you were back to normal," said Kyle, putting his hand in his pocket again, "before I ..."_

_"For what?" said Paige loudly._

_Kyle raised his hand, a small ceramic bottle held within it. Almost instinctively, Beta threw a bolt of lightning from her hand directly at Kyle's chest. The force threw him off his feet, sending him flying through the air. Paige turned and looked in shock as his body hit the kitchen unit and fell to the floor._

_At the same time, the ceramic bottle smashed as it hit the floor. A mass of black smoke rose from the shards, and flew towards Beta. She gasped as the smoke invaded her body, through her nostrils and mouth. Her lifeless body then collapsed onto the floor._

_Paige ran over to Kyle, and knelt down beside him. She turned him off to see his face, Kyle groaning softly, and the tears running down her face._

_

* * *

_

As the screen vanished, Paige sighed deeply. Prue ran her hand up and down Paige's arm.

"He died minutes later," said Paige softly.

"I know ..." said Prue, "You really cared about him, didn't you?"

"Yeah ... I did ..."

Paige ran her hand through her hair, as Prue smiled slightly.

"Then, of course, the Avatars put us to sleep too."

"That's right – to create Utopia," said Prue, "The 'perfect world' ..."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	14. Fall From Grace Part 2

Hooray! Quick updates ftw!! :P

The reason for such a quick update is because I've been looking forward to writing this bit of the story. Plot twist coming up! :P

Thanks again to all the fans of Sisters! :D

* * *

**Fall from Grace (Part 2)**

The Manor was full of people. Happy, smiling people, helping themselves to food, chatting and basically enjoying themselves.

"Oh, I remember this," said Paige, as she and Prue watched them, "This is the party Piper threw, to celebrate this new world."

"Yep ..." sighed Prue.

"Would you just ... stop fussing and enjoy yourself already?"

"I can't. I'm worried."

Prue and Paige walked towards the sitting room towards the voices they could hear over all others.

"About what?" said younger Paige, "Look, everybody seems to be having a great time. I didn't even know we knew this many people!"

"I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about Leo," said Piper, "He should have been here by now."

She began to wander the room, Paige following.

"And where the heck is Phoebe? She got the boys ready, and then she just ... took off."

"Well, maybe they're together," said Paige, "or maybe you just don't know how to have a good time anymore."

"Is that a challenge?" murmured Piper.

"If it works."

Prue and older Paige then saw Paige look up, eyes widened.

"There, you happy?" she said to Piper, who walked past Prue and the two Paiges. Prue and older Paige turned to see her walk towards Leo at the staircase, just as Phoebe walked towards younger Paige.

"I need a drink!" groaned Phoebe.

"Hey, what's the matter?" asked Paige.

"I don't wanna talk about it; I just wanna have a good time."

Phoebe then turned to see a waitress walk by, carrying a tray of wine-filled glasses. With a smile at Paige, she followed the waitress.

Paige then walked towards Piper and Leo, the other sisters following.

"Hey!" she said, smiling widely at Leo. She saw Leo's less-than-happy expression, and then saw the same expression in Piper's face.

"OK, then, I'll go mingle!" she said, before walking away. Prue gave a small laugh, and older Paige smiled embarrassedly.

"Leo, come on, what's wrong?" asked Piper, seeing Leo's saddened expression.

"It's ... complicated," replied Leo.

"It's the Avatars, isn't it? Look, if working for them is going to be as complicated as working for the Elders, then I ..."

"It's not that," said Leo.

"Then what is it?" asked Piper, and when Leo did not answer, "OK, you know what? I don't wanna know! We're here to celebrate our new life ..."

As Piper spoke, Leo looked up towards the conservatory. Paige followed his line of vision, and saw a demon dressed in leather smirking back at him.

"Zankou ..."

Just then, three more demons shimmered in beside Zankou.

"Leo, did you ... hear what I said?"

Leo continued to stare at Zankou, who gave a small nod of the head before flaming away.

"Are you listening to me?" said Piper, "What is the matter with you?"

"Forgive me, Piper," said Leo, grasping Piper's arm and looking right into her eyes, "If there was another way to do this, I would."

"Do what?" asked Piper, as Paige turned back to them, "What are you talking about?"

"I have to fix a mistake."

Paige sighed deeply.

"I love you," said Leo, before guiding her out of his way.

"Leo...!"

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

As the guests obeyed, some screaming as they did, Leo threw his arms up. Lightning bolts shot out of his hands, which destroyed the conservatory chair as the demons evaded them. Prue and Paige stepped back out of the way as Leo paced the floor.

"Paige, the children!" they heard Piper yell.

As the demons re-appeared, one of them began throwing fireballs at Leo, who ducked to avoid them. They smashed pictures and lighting as guests cowered in fear.

Just then, Prue and Paige watched Phoebe run out towards Leo. She ducked behind the sofa as Leo shot more lightning bolts. The bolts instantly vanquished two of the demons.

"Die, Elder, die!" yelled the third, approaching Leo. He threw a fireball, which was destroyed as Leo threw more lightning bolts. The force of them threw the demon against the wall, roaring in pain. Moments later, his body exploded in a burst of flames.

"Wow ..." said Paige softly, hand on her chest, "I forgot how intense this was!"

"Don't let them make you forget why I'm doing this, Phoebe. It's supposed to hurt."

Paige and Prue turned to Leo, who was looking down at Phoebe.

"Go to the Book, remember all the losses. Then go to Zankou."

"Wait, Zankou? But ..."

Before Phoebe could finish, however, Leo vanished in a cloud of light. Phoebe stared in shock, and then looked around as everyone got to their feet. Strangely, they continued to talk happily and enjoy themselves, as if the last few moments had not happened.

"Piper, are you alright?"

Phoebe, Paige and Prue turned to see younger Paige with Piper and baby Chris."

"Uh, I don't know," said Piper, "I guess so."

"I'm really sorry about Leo," said Paige softly, as Piper handed her Chris.

"Yeah, me too ..." said Piper, "but at least he's gone on to a better place."

"A better place ..." said older Paige softly.

"I know," said Prue, "but when Phoebe touched the Book of Shadows, she had a premonition of all the losses. It made her realise what the Avatars had taken from the world: free will."

"And then she managed to get me and Piper to see the same."

"Then you went to Zankou, and got him on your side," said Prue, "which eventually led to you confronting the Avatars."

They vanished, re-appearing in a darkened chamber. In the centre was a glowing platform surrounded by thin silver pillars. A dozen Avatars stood within this platform, and as Prue and Paige descended the steps to get a closer look, they could see one of them using telekinesis to shift through a series of holograms. Each hologram depicted a scene of a city, or countryside, or town.

A grey-bearded, balding Avatar approached him.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I can't find the sisters," replied the younger Avatar, still searching.

"None of them?"

"I don't understand," said the younger Avatar, "I just had them."

"It's all right," said the older Avatar, placing a consoling arm on the other, "they'll have to surface sooner or later."

"You got that right!"

All the Avatars, Prue and Paige turned to see the Charmed Ones and Zankou standing on the steps. As the holograms vanished, two Avatars tried to approach the group. However, Piper and Zankou used their powers to send them flying backwards. They landed on the floor, unconscious.

"Ah!" yelled Paige, as more Avatars tried to approach. They stopped as they saw the small ceramic bottle in Paige's hands.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" said Paige.

"What are those?" asked the younger Avatar.

"I think you know what they are ..." said Zankou.

"... and I think you know what he is," said Phoebe.

"What is the meaning of this?" said the older Avatar.

"I don't think we have anything to explain," said Piper, "We're not the ones going around killing people!"

"We only did what was necessary," said the younger Avatar, "to maintain Utopia."

"Little loophole you forgot to tell us about?" said Paige.

"It was never our intention to deceive, Paige," said the older Avatar, "We merely gave you the world you asked for."

"Again, except for the fact that you were killing people," said Piper.

"Their fates are regrettable, but I guarantee you that fewer people by far will be lost under our rule, than under the chaos of good and evil."

"Yeah, but at least with good and evil, people knew what they were dying for!" said Phoebe.

"And given the choice of what we had and what you're offering ..." said Piper.

" ... now we know what it is ..." said Paige.

"... we'll take our free will back any day," said Phoebe.

"Hear hear!" said Zankou.

The older Avatar looked at them, puzzled. He then began to approach them, the younger Avatar following.

"You'd seriously be willing to give up peace of mind? The normal life you so covet? To go back to the way things were? To fighting the likes of him again?"

He motioned to Zankou, who merely smirked.

"Warts and all," replied Piper.

The older Avatar looked at the sisters in disbelief.

"They're not ready for us," said the younger Avatar.

"Perhaps not, but they will be someday," said the older Avatar, as they both turned to the platform, "What we want for the world ... is worth waiting for."

"Very well," he continued, turning back, "We will use what remains of our power to rewind time to when Utopia began."

"Does that mean that Leo will be alive again?" asked Phoebe.

"Of course."

"And Kyle?" asked Paige.

"That, unfortunately, is beyond our powers," said the older Avatar solemnly.

"Are you kidding me?!" yelled Paige, "You can bring everyone that you have killed back to life ... but Kyle is beyond your powers?!"

"The further something recedes into the past, the more power it takes to reverse it," explained the younger Avatar.

"We can either bring back Agent Brody or return the world to the way it was," said the older Avatar, "but I'm afraid we cannot do both."

Tears in her eyes, Paige raised her arm to throw the bottle, but Phoebe grabbed her hand before she did. She held it for a few moments, and as she released it, Paige slowly lowered her arm.

"Put the world back," said Phoebe, descending a step to stand beside Paige. The Avatars briefly nodded, as Piper also descended a step. She grasped Paige's arm consolingly, just as Prue did the same with older Paige, whom also had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry this didn't work out, for your sakes as well as ours," said the older Avatar.

"Touching," said Zankou sarcastically, "I'm gonna miss you guys."

With one last look at Zankou, the two Avatars turned to the platform along with all the other Avatars. Suddenly, a swirling mass of yellow light shot up out of the centre of the platform, up towards the starry sky. As everyone in the cavern watched, the light then exploded, sending shock waves out in all directions.

"And the world returned to normal ..." said Prue softly, before turning to Paige, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah ..." sad Paige softly, "I mean, I guess I still miss him, but ... you know ... time ..."

"Yeah ..." said Prue, moving her hand up and down Paige's arm. The whooshing sound of their departure echoed in the cavern, as did the smashing of the sisters' potion vials, which marked the departure of the sisters and Zankou.

* * *

"Darryl, you have to do something. Anything!"

Piper was pacing up and down the Manor hall, phone in her hand. Paige could see that she looked scared.

"Where are we now?" she asked Prue.

"Well, after the whole mess with the Avatars and Utopia, the Elders decided that Leo should be punished, remember?"

"Yeah," said Paige, "They wiped his memory, and sent him to Texas, to see if he would choose Piper or the Elders."

"Exactly," said Prue, "So, Piper is on the phone, trying to get Darryl's help to find Leo."

"OK, Darryl, but you have to find him!"

Paige frowned as she watched Piper continue to pace.

"Well, how long?" continued Piper, "Long enough that he has a ... a whole new life? A new wife? And new kids? That is not OK, alright? That is not acceptable!"

Piper's voice began to tremble.

"Oh, Piper ..." said Paige softly.

"OK, look, I don't need to take a breath! I need to find my husband!"

Piper sighed exasperatedly, as she hung up and placed the phone back on the receiver. She paced back down the hall, wringing her hands. Her breathing started to become shallower.

"Oh ..." she said softly, "Somebody please help me ..."

She leant against the staircase banister, and turned to walk up the stairs. However, before she had ascended one step, she collapsed.

"Piper!" yelled Paige, instinctively running towards her body. Prue slowly followed, as Paige knelt down beside her.

Just then, an exact copy of Piper rose out of her body. Paige watched in confusion as the corporeal ghost began to ascend the stairs. A few steps up, she stopped and turned around to look down at her body.

"Oh no ..." she said, "Am I dead again?"

Paige gave a small laugh.

"No."

Piper looked up and Paige turned too. Paige gasped as she saw, leaning against the wall, a man who looked all too familiar.

"Well ... not yet, anyway."

"Cole ...?"

Paige slowly rose to her feet, as Piper simply looked on in shock.

"What the ... what is he doing here?" said Paige, turning to Prue.

"Oh ..." said Prue, smiling embarrassedly, "That's right, Piper never did tell you ..."

"Tell me what? What's going on?"

Before Prue could answer, Piper walked past them.

"I don't know which is worse: the fact that I'm dying or that apparently I'm going to be spending my last dying moments with you," she said, as she walked towards Cole.

"I'd say that's what you should be worried about," said Cole, as Prue and Paige followed Piper.

"You're not looking so hot!" he continued, smiling as Piper reached him. She stared at him in confusion.

"What?"

" 'What?!' Don't 'what' me Cole, what are you doing here?"

"You called for me," replied Cole.

"I didn't call for you," laughed Piper.

"You asked for help – here I am."

"Like hell," said Piper, "You're the answer to my prayers? I don't think so! That's just plain ..."

"Piper?"

Piper, Prue and Paige turned, to see younger Paige and Phoebe run down the stairs towards Piper's body. A tall, dark man dressed in a red jacket, grey jumper and jeans followed.

"Drake ..." said Paige.

"Oh my gosh ..." said Phoebe, "Piper!"

She and Paige crouched down beside Piper's body, and tried to wake her up.

"Piper, wake up!" yelled Phoebe, "Piper?"

"Yoo hoo!" yelled Piper, waving her arms, "Guys! Hi, over here!"

"They can't hear you," said Cole, "or see you."

"...The thorn demon," said younger Paige, "I knew I should have had Leo heal her."

"O maybe it's the shock of losing Leo?" suggested Phoebe, rising to her feet.

"Or maybe both," said Drake.

"Guys, yoo-hoo!" yelled Piper, "Look, really, over here! Watch!"

She waved her arm towards a lamp, to try to knock it off its table. However, her arm swept right through it, as though ghostly.

"Nice try," said Cole.

"Shut up!" said Piper. Paige gave a small laugh, and Prue smiled.

"I've run into a few of these thorn demons myself," said Drake, walking down the stairs to Piper's body. He clicked his fingers, and Piper's body vanished in a flash, re-appearing in his arms. Paige and Prue nodded at each other, impressed.

"Those pricks can be vicious – unintended. The poison works slowly but it's also fatal."

"Wait, fatal?!" said Phoebe loudly, as she and Paige followed Drake walking towards the couch. There, he lay down Piper's body.

"OK, guys, I don't see any other choice: we're gonna have to call the Elders to heal her."

"Over my dead body!" called Piper.

"Are you kidding?" said Paige, "Piper will kill us!"

"At least she'll be alive!" said Phoebe.

"But, if it's slow working, that'll give us time. Maybe we can ... have some sort of options or something."

"I hate this," said Phoebe, "I feel so out of control, like there's nothing that we can do!"

"Oh, there's something we can do, alright," said Drake, "We gotta find Leo."

"Except he can't help us anymore," said Paige.

"Actually, he's the only one who can. You weren't paying attention to my little love rant back there; that's exactly what we're dealing with here."

"Wait, are you saying she's lovesick?" asked Phoebe.

"That's ridiculous!" yelled Piper.

"Yeah, and it can kill her," said Drake, "It happens all the time to the bereaved after they lose a loved one. Even if we heal Piper, she still needs Leo."

"Pay attention," Cole murmured into Piper's ear, "He could be on to something."

"What do you know?" said Piper, as Cole stepped back.

"OK, maybe you and I should go down to see Darryl, and help speed this whole thing up," Paige said to Phoebe.

"People, come on, it's a poison thorn," groaned Piper, "Could somebody please go check the Book?"

"I'm gonna check the ... uh, Book upstairs," said Drake, as Piper sighed exasperatedly, "See what I can do for Piper down here."

"Call us if she gets worse," said Phoebe, as Drake made his way up the stairs.

"Don't worry! Love! Will! Conquer! All!"

Older Paige watched Drake hop up the stairs, eyes narrowed. Something about his statement confused her ...

Phoebe and younger Paige then began to walk towards the front door.

"What beauty ..." whispered Cole, watching Phoebe, as Piper and older Paige rolled their eyes, "She doth teach the torches to burn bright ..."

Just then, younger Paige stopped as Phoebe backtracked. She stopped directly in front of Prue and Paige, staring at the exact spot in which Cole was standing.

"What?" said younger Paige.

A moment passed, and then ...

"Nothing," said Phoebe, resuming walking. Paige followed, confused.

"Since when do you quote Shakespeare?" said Piper, walking past Cole into the sitting room.

"It's a recent affliction actually," said Cole.

Prue made to follow Piper, but Paige grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the staircase.

"Paige, what ...?"

"OK, there are a few things I don't understand here," said Paige, stopping just before the staircase and turning to Prue, "Number 1: did Drake hear Piper talking about the Book? Number 2: did Phoebe hear Cole? And most importantly of all ... what is Cole doing here in the first place?!"

"OK, well, first off, if you didn't just drag me away, you would have found out why Cole is here," said Prue, raising an eyebrow, "He's stuck in this limbo-like plain, as punishment for his evil past."

"Oh, so he's in the same boat as us, then?"

"Not quite," said Prue, "We, unlike him, aren't here as punishment. We'll get out of here ... eventually."

Paige sighed.

"OK, so what about Phoebe?"

"Well, I think she did hear Cole, yes," said Prue, "They were once in love, Paige, and I mean deep, passionate love. Regardless of what happened, feelings like that never truly die."

"True ..." said Paige, "What about Drake and Piper?"

"I have a memory in mind which will explain that," said Prue, "but first ..."

She was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She and Paige watched Piper walk past them towards the dining room. However, Cole appeared out of nowhere before her.

"I am trying to do a good deed here – make sure you don't end up like me – and this is the thanks I get!"

"I know what you're doing," said Piper, "This is just a ploy to break out of your ungodly plain and back into our lives."

Cole stayed silent.

"See, I'm right."

"I'll be the first to admit I'm not above an ulterior motive ..."

"Exactly!" said Piper.

"... but I am here for one reason and one reason only," said Cole, "To help you find your love ... while you still can."

Piper turned towards her body, and sighed deeply. She turned back to Cole briefly, before walking back towards the sitting room. Cole followed, smirking.

"So, what were you saying?" asked Paige.

"Hmm? What?" said Prue, distracted by the recent conversation.

"What were you saying? Before Piper 'interrupted'?"

"Oh, right," said Prue, "Well, the memory I was talking about occurs after Leo made his decision."

"You mean after the Elders cheated, in order to get him back?"

"Exactly," said Prue, waving her arm to conjure the screen. Phoebe, Paige, a male Elder and Leo (dressed in Elder robes) were standing atop the Golden Gate Bridge.

* * *

  
_"You need to come home now, because Piper needs you," said Paige._

_"Well, I'm there for all those in need," said Leo, turning to the Elder for encouragement, who nodded._

_"Look, this is not a test!"_

_"He's made his own decision," said the Elder, "It's done!"_

_"No, it's not done," said Phoebe, "Leo and Piper are still in love. You can erase his memory, but you can't erase that. It will seep into his consciousness until he remembers!"_

_"I know this is a great loss for you," said the Elder, "and that you're going to need time to mourn."_

_"No, we won't, because he's not going to leave. You can't take him away from Piper!"_

_As Phoebe talked, Leo looked as if he was trying to remember something._

_"Look, their love is true. It's a true love, and it's bigger than you, and the Elders, and ... all of this!"_

_Leo continued to try to remember. He then looked towards the edge of the bridge, his eyes widening._

_"Piper ..." he said softly._

_"Leo?" said Phoebe, as he turned to stand on the edge of the bridge, "What are you doing?"_

_Leo did not answer._

_"Leo ...?" said Paige._

_Leo then raised his arms up to shoulder-height, and then, without warning, he fell off the edge. Phoebe and Paige gasped as they peered over the edge, and the Elder did too._

_Leo fell through the sky, but not a sound left his mouth. As he fell, his Elder robes vanished, replaced with normal clothing._

_Suddenly, he landed on the cold metal ground with a loud thud. A moment later, Paige and Phoebe orbed in beside him._

_"Oh my gosh ..." said Phoebe, "Leo!"_

_She and Paige walked over and crouched beside him, just as the Elder orbed in._

_"Phoebe ..." said Leo, as they turned him over. He had deep burns over his face._

_"What the hell just happened?!" yelled Paige to the Elder._

_"He has fallen from grace," replied the Elder._

_"Leo, are you OK?" said Phoebe softly._

_"Take me to Piper, she needs me," said Leo._

_"Destiny has spoken," said the Elder, "He's made his choice – he's mortal now."_

_Phoebe and Paige looked from the Elder back to Leo._

_"You should hurry."_

* * *

"Of course, then you guys went back to the Manor," said Prue, "and you saw little Wyatt heal his mummy."

"Yeah, I remember ..." said Paige softly, as the screen vanished, "Hey, how did Leo remember Piper?"

"She moved on to the next cosmic plain," explained Prue.

"Meaning ... she died?"

"Technically, yes," said Prue, "It was the only thing Piper could do to reach Leo."

"Let me guess, Cole gave her the idea?" said Paige, and Prue nodded.

"Hey, you have to admit – it was a good plan," she said.

"I guess so ... hey, wait! That reminds me! You owe me a memory!"

"Wow, you don't miss anything, do you, Paige?" laughed Prue.

"Nope," said Paige, putting her arm around Prue. They smiled as they vanished.

* * *

  
They re-appeared in a grand corridor. The floor, ceiling and walls were marble, and there was a set of large, wooden doors ahead of them.

"Magic School," said Prue.

"So, how will this memory explain about Drake and Piper?" asked Paige.

"Well, do you remember how Drake came into your lives?" asked Prue.

"Uh, sure. He made a deal with a sorcerer to spend a year as a human – keeping his demonic powers – and then applied to be a teacher at Magic School."

"That's right," said Prue, "Only ... he didn't really come into your lives to teach at Magic School."

"Then why?"

Just then, the doors flew open, and Drake Demon slid through the doorway.

"I'll miss you."

Prue and Paige heard Phoebe's soft voice echo as the doors slid to a close. Paige sighed, as Drake walked closer towards them.

"You did good."

Paige gasped as she heard the all-too-familiar voice. Behind Drake, Cole appeared in a mass of whitish-grey smoke.

"Thanks," said Drake sadly, turning towards him, "So did you."

Cole gave a small smile.

"You know, I couldn't have ... tasted life unless you set me up with that sorcerer."

Paige's mouth opened in shock.

"I just wish I could save you too."

"I've come to terms with my fate," said Cole, "especially now that I know it won't be Phoebe's too."

"That was a pretty bold move, sending in those thorn demons."

"Well, I had to risk everything for this one," said Cole.

"Understandably," said Drake.

"Oh my ..." whispered Paige.

Just then, everyone could hear a clock chiming. It was midnight.

"Oh well ..." said Drake, "here I go!"

Cole nodded. Drake smiled, and then his eyes rolled upwards, before he collapsed onto the marble floor. Paige gasped as he did.

Just then, Drake's soul rose up from his body. He sat upon the floor and looked up at Cole before looking down at his body, which faded away.

"OK, that was interesting," he said, as he rose to his feet, "Ashes to ashes, eh?"

"If it's any consolation, you did all that I asked for," said Cole, "You saved Phoebe."

"I did more than that, buddy," said Drake, "I fell in love with her."

Paige and Prue smiled.

"Understandably," said Cole.

The two friends shared a final smile and nod.

"Farewell, my friend."

Drake then looked upwards and jumped. As he did, his soul became a mass of white light which soared through the ceiling, towards peace.

Cole sighed as he watched Drake move on. He then turned and vanished in the whitish-grey smoke.

For a few moments, the two sisters were silent. Prue was the first to speak.

"Well, I hope that clears things up ..." she said, with a small laugh.

"I just ... can't believe it ..." said Paige, "Cole ... Cole set this whole thing up? Drake's deal with the sorcerer? The thorn demon attack? I mean, why would he go through all this trouble?"

"Phoebe still means a lot to him, Paige," said Prue, "He blamed himself for her not being able to find love, so he recruited Drake to help her. He then got Piper involved, because the love between her and Leo is pure and strong, and Phoebe admires their love."

"So, he went through all that ... just to help Phoebs?"

"Yeah ..." said Prue.

"Well, except for the fact that he put Piper's life at risk, that's actually kind of ... sweet."

Prue nodded.

"Hey, do you think he has to stay in this plain forever?" asked Paige.

"I don't know," said Prue, "Although, he was trapped there for his evil acts, and this whole thing proves he has some good in him. Maybe someday ... he will."

"You know what?" said Paige, "I hope so ..."

"Me too ..."

Prue and Paige looked at each other, and smiled.

"So, Prudence, where to next?" asked Paige.

"I think I have just the memory in mind ..."

And with that, they disappeared in a flash.

* * *

"Oh no! Oh no!"

Lauren could hear the booming sounds above them again. She turned to Billie, whom could see that Lauren was shaking.

"Lauren, it's OK," said Billie soothingly.

"It's them, isn't it?" stammered Lauren, "The d-darklighters, they're trying to g-get in?"

"If they are, there's no need to worry," said Billie, making her way over to Lauren and kneeling down beside her, "The Manor is magically protected – there is no way they can get in!"

"Are you sure?" said Lauren, looking up at the ceiling, legs crossed on her seat.

"I'm sure."

Lauren turned again to Billie, whom placed a warm hand on her cheek.

"I will not let anything happen to you, Lauren. I promise."

Lauren nodded slowly, and gave a small sad smile.

"OK," said Billie, smiling, "I'm gonna go make us some tea. Just try and relax."

"OK ... I will."

Billie rose to her feet, and walked out of the sitting room. Lauren then rose to _her_ feet, and began pacing around nervously. Despite what Billie had said, and regardless of how much she _did_ trust her, Lauren could not help but still feel a little scared.

Just then, there was another boom from above. Lauren gasped in fright, as she looked upwards. However, in her peripheral vision, she saw a soft glow coming from the window. Scared though she was, this took her interest.

She walked towards the window, and as she reached it, she found the source of the glow. It was a large, white crystal.

"Hey, Billie!" she yelled, not taking her eyes off the crystal. There was no reply.

"BILLIE!"

"What?!" came the reply.

"What's this thing at the window?!" yelled Lauren.

"What thing?!"

"This crystal!"

Lauren stretched out her arm, to pick up the crystal. As she did, she could hear hurried footsteps behind her.

"Wait, Lauren, NO!" yelled Billie, "DON'T TOUCH IT!"

It was too late. Lauren picked up the crystal just as Billie returned.

Suddenly, all doorways, windows and partitions throughout the Manor flashed briefly.

"What was that?" asked Billie nervously, still holding the crystal.

"That was the protection around the Manor being deactivated," said Billie, sounding as nervous as Lauren.

"What do you mean?"

"There are crystals like that around the Manor, which create a magical force-field," said Billie quickly, "Just , please, Lauren, put the crystal back NOW before ..."

A mass of black orbs flew through the sitting room wall. As they hit the ground, they disappeared to reveal a man dressed in black. He groaned, as he rose to his knees.

Lauren instantly recognised the face, and gasped as she stepped backwards towards Billie. She dropped the crystal to the ground, and Billie grabbed her arm.

The man looked around the room, and grinned evilly.

"At last!"

Just then, another mass of black orbs flew through the wall, landing on the ground and revealing another man in black. He too groaned.

"Up, Drakor, up!"

Arrow rose to his feet, dragging Drakor up with him. Drakor massaged his head, and then noticed where he was.

"We made it!" he yelled, smiling widely.

"Exactly," roared Arrow in triumph.

As he looked around again, his eyes found Billie and Lauren. He gave a small sinister laugh, as he patted Drakor on the shoulder, pointing out their presence. As Drakor noticed the girls, he grinned.

"Hello ladies," said Arrow slyly, "remember us?"


	15. Fading Light

Hooray! This chapter is mostly my own work! :D

So far, this is one of my personal favourites, and I hope you'll like it too!

WARNING: This chapter contains some very strong language!!

* * *

**Fading Light**

Lauren's eyes grew wide in fear, and she felt Billie squeeze her arm.

"When I say so ..." she heard Billie whisper, "get down on the ground ...

"I knew we would meet again," said Arrow, "It was only a matter of time ..."

Drakor winked at Billie, who wore a look of disgust in reply.

"Why are you doing this?" said Lauren loudly, "I haven't done ANYTHING to you! Why are you after me?!"

"It's like I said, my dear," said Arrow calmly, "you're destined to become a whitelighter. I'm a darklighter, and it's my duty to ensure that that doesn't happen."

The crossbows appeared in the darklighters' hands in masses of black orbs.

"No ..." said Lauren softly.

"Wait for it ..." whispered Billie.

"It's nothing personal, Lauren ... it's just destiny," said Arrow, as he and Drakor loaded their crossbows.

"Lauren ..."

Billie squeezed her arm again, as the darklighters aimed their crossbows.

"Goodnight, Miss Stevens," growled Arrow.

"NOW!"

Lauren dropped to the ground, as Billie raised her arms towards the darklighters. They both flew through the air into the marble fireplace.

"Lauren, run!" yelled Billie.

Lauren rose to her feet, and ran out of the sitting room as fast as she could. At the same time, the darklighters groaned as they picked themselves up.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" said Drakor.

"Shut up!" roared Arrow, as they rose to their feet, "Just ... go find the girl. I'll distract the witch!"

Drakor ran past Arrow in search of Lauren. Billie noticed, but before she could act, she ducked to avoid an arrow, which hit the wall behind her.

"You're messing with the wrong darklighter, bitch!" yelled Arrow.

"Ooh, I'm trembling in my bootcut jeans!" said Billie sarcastically, rising to her feet as Arrow laughed.

"You've got spunk, kid, but that won't save you!"

"Wanna bet?" said Billie, waving her arm. The crossbow flew out of Arrow's hands, as Billie delivered a kick to his stomach. With another roundhouse kick, she sent Arrow to the ground.

"BILLIE!"

Billie gasped, and sprinted into the hall. There, she saw Drakor aiming his crossbow towards the cupboard.

With another wave of her arm, Billie sent him flying through the air, back towards the conservatory. She then ran towards the cupboard, and there she found Lauren cowering in fear, tears in her eyes.

"C'mon, sweetie," said Billie softly, holding out her hand.

"I'm sc-scared ..." sobbed Lauren.

"I know, I know, but trust me ... I will not let _anything _happen to you."

Lauren frowned at her, the tears running down her face.

"Trust me ..." said Billie.

Lauren sighed softly, and then took Billie's hand. Billie helped her to her feet, and they both walked out into the main hall.

"Ah-HA!"

The girls gasped in fright, and turned towards the front doors. There stood Arrow, crossbow aimed. Billie stood in front of Lauren, arms outstretched, shielding her.

"Stupid girl!" laughed Arrow, "I'm not after you! You could walk away from this unharmed!"

"I don't give a damn!" yelled Billie, "I have already lost too many people I've loved, and I am NOT about to lose another!"

Despite how scared she was, hearing this statement from Billie put a small sad smile upon Lauren's face.

"Very well then ..." said Arrow, "If I have to kill you to get to her, then so be it!"

He shot an arrow directly at her, but with a small flick of her wrist, Billie deflected it back towards him. He ducked, and it pierced the wooden door.

Billie then turned to look at the first landing of the stairs, held out her hand and closed her eyes in concentration. Moments later, the large wooden door to Magic School appeared there.

"OK, Lauren, listen to me," said Billie quickly, eyes opening as she turned to her, "I want you to go through that door. It will take you to Magic School, and I want you to stay there where it's safe!"

"But ... what about you?" asked Lauren.

"I'll stay here, and hold these guys off."

"But ..."

Arrow groaned as he began to get to his feet.

"Do not argue with me, Lauren!" said Billie, "Now go! RUN!"

Lauren turned and headed towards the stairs.

"I don't think so!" growled Arrow, holding out his hand, which glowed deep purple.

As Lauren reached the first step, there was a purple flash, and she was thrown backwards onto the wooden floor. Billie ran to her, helping her up before walking over to the stairs. She held her hand out towards them, and felt the magical barrier placed there, which flashed purple as she touched it.

"A force-field ..." she said softly, and then turning to Arrow, "but ... darklighters don't have that power!"

"Well, this one does," said Arrow, grinning evilly, "You see, ever since the Charmed Ones started protecting future whitelighters, and especially since precious Paige embraced her whitelighter side, we darklighters realised that we needed ... extra help. So, we struck a deal with the demons: in exchange for allegiance to the then Source, a select few of us were granted demonic powers. I was one of those few."

"Wait, if you have these powers, why did you not use them in the alley?" asked Billie.

"That's simple," said Arrow, loading another arrow, "You see, when it comes to the hunt, I find that the old-fashioned ways are the best. What can I say? I'm a nostalgic!"

"Really?" said Billie, smirking, "That's funny, I've found that the sisters are the same way. In fact, here's a little trick I learned from them!"

She starched her arms out and then pulled them back, causing the front doors to magically open. Arrow turned around, and then turned back to see Billie push out her arm. He was then sent flying through the doorway, and he landed on the stone steps. Billie then magically closed the doors.

"Whoa!" said Lauren.

"Arrow?"

Drakor ran out into the hall, just before the front doors. He opened one, and ran out to find Arrow.

"Lauren, go hide in the conservatory," said Billie.

"Why?" asked Lauren, "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry," said Billie, smirking, "I have a plan ..."

She walked towards the front doors, as Lauren ran towards the conservatory. As she reached the doorway, she saw Drakor kneeling down beside an apparently unconscious Arrow.

"Arrow," he said, shaking his arm, "Hey, Arrow!"

"Aww, what's wrong with your little friend?" said Billie.

Drakor turned to look up at Billie. He leered at her.

"You did this, you bitch!" he roared.

"Catch me if you can!" she yelled, running into the Manor. The sound of hurried footsteps told her that Drakor was in hot pursuit.

Billie ran through the hall into the dining room. As she turned left to enter the kitchen, an arrow smashed the vase on the dining table.

Drakor followed Billie all the way through into the Halliwell kitchen. All was silent here.

"I know you're here, witch!" growled Drakor, turning to ensure he surveyed every angle of the kitchen.

As he turned his back on the large kitchen unit, Billie crawled out from behind it. She then rose to her feet.

"Looking for me?"

Drakor turned to see Billie smile and wink at him. He aimed his crossbow and shot an arrow, which just missed Billie as she ran back towards the dining room.

She made her way back into the hall, and headed towards the open front door. However, before she had got halfway through the hall, the door closed of its own accord.

Billie stopped in her tracks, gasping in fright. Arrow then walked in from the sitting room, grinning as he turned to her.

Billie turned to run back again, but Drakor was standing in her way, crossbow aimed at her. Arrow then waved his arm, and the archway to the sitting room was barred by one of his force-fields.

"You're not going anywhere, Billie!" laughed Arrow, raising his crossbow, aiming it directly at her.

"And once you're out of the way," said Drakor, "we'll deal with your little friend too!"

Billie looked from Arrow, to Drakor, and then back to Arrow. She smirked again.

"That's what you think ..."

For a few moments, the three of them stood still, and then...

The arrows shot out from both crossbows at the same moment. They flew towards Billie, who did not move, or make a sound. She merely stood there, smirking at Arrow.

The arrows quickly reached her, but, instead of piercing her body, she vanished in a flash of white and pink light. Arrow gasped as the arrow flew towards him instead, and he dropped to the ground, barely avoiding it as it pierced the door.

"Damn witch!" he growled, rising to a sitting position, "She must have used those blasted projection powers of hers! Well, she won't get the better of us, will she? Drakor?"

He turned to look at him, and his eyes grew wide. Drakor was gasping for breath, the arrow protruding from his stomach.

He looked down at the arrow, and then up at Arrow, his eyes also wide. Drakor's body then erupted in flames, and he roared in agony before his body exploded.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!" yelled Arrow.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Billie rose unsteadily to her feet. She put her hand on her forehead.

"Ooh ..." she groaned, making her way out.

As she made her way through the dining room, she saw Arrow squatting down beside a pile of ashes, situated where Drakor once stood.

Arrow looked at Billie as he got to his feet.

"Clever ..." he said, "Very clever ..."

"I thought so," said Billie, "Now, if you don't want to end up like your friend, I suggest you get out of here, and leave my friend alone!"

"Oh, I don't think so;" said Arrow, raising his crossbow again, "A hunter never stops until he catches his prey."

"That 'prey' is MY ... BEST ... FRIEND!"

Suddenly, the crossbow flew out of Arrow's hands. Billie caught it, and aimed it at Arrow.

"You know, I've always wondered what it's like to use one of these," she said.

She shot directly at Arrow, who orbed away just in time. The arrow instead hit the wall, and Billie sighed deeply.

Just then, the archway to the sitting room and the staircase flashed purple.

"What was that?"

Billie turned to see Lauren slowly walking out of the conservatory.

"I think the force-fields have been de-activated," said Billie.

"And the darklighters?" asked Lauren, "Are they gone?"

"Well, the younger one's gone, but the other one could come back."

Billie sighed deeply.

"I am so sorry that you've been dragged into all of this," she said.

"It's not your fault, Billie," said Lauren softly.

"Maybe not, but it's far too dangerous for you here while that darklighter's still about. C'mon, I'm taking you to Magic School!"

Lauren began to walk towards Billie, but then stopped, eyes widened again.

"Lauren, what's the matter?"

With her back turned to them, Billie could not see the mass of black orbs behind her, as they morphed to form the body of Arrow.

"B-Billie, behind you!"

Billie turned, just as Arrow swung his arm at her. He sent her flying through the air, and crashing into a small table. The crossbow landed at his feet.

"Billie!" yelled Lauren, running to her.

Arrow picked up his crossbow and casually walked over to the girls.

"Billie, are you all right?" asked Lauren, kneeling over her.

"Yeah, I guess ..." said Billie softly, massaging her head.

Lauren smiled, but then screamed as Arrow grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet.

"NO!" yelled Billie, holding out her arm.

"Ah-ah-ah!" said Arrow, pointing his crossbow at Lauren's stomach, "I could kill her before you even think about it."

"Billie ... please help me ..."

Lauren groaned in agony as Arrow pulled her hair, and then began to sob.

"You evil bastard!" yelled Billie, "LET HER GO!"

"I don't think so, sweetheart!" said Arrow tauntingly, "You see, Lauren is coming with me!"

He turned to Lauren, grinning as Lauren quietly cried.

"If you want her ... come and get her!"

Billie watched in horror as Arrow and Lauren vanished in the usual black orbs.

* * *

Prue and Paige appeared in the basement of the Manor. Assorted bric-a-brac assembled by the Halliwell family over the years was stored all around.

The most noticeable feature, however, was the deep gaping hole in the concrete floor.

"Oh, this looks familiar ..." said Paige.

Just then, the Charmed Ones appeared in a flash of white and pink light.

"Hurry," said Piper, "He'll be here any second!"

"Oh yeah ..." said Paige, gently elbowing Prue, "A little help from you ..."

"Glad I could help," said Prue, grinning, as the other sisters made their way to the large hole.

"_Natung, nidah, necrawl ..."_

They then stopped, turning to the stairs to see Zankou, who had flamed in mid-spell. He threw his arms out, and pushed them back into some of the bric-a-brac.

"You're too late," said Zankou, walking towards the hole, "You can't take the Nexus."

He turned to the sisters, who were struggling to get up.

"It's been in me. It knows me now!"

"I should have done this a long time ago," he added, turning to the hole.

He began to recite the spell used to summon the Nexus, as the sisters rose to their feet.

An entity consisting of black smoke, the Nexus rose up from the hole. It stopped before Zankou for a few moments, before invading his body through his eyes, nostrils and mouth.

As the Nexus completed its journey, Zankou turned towards the Charmed Ones. His eyes were now completely black.

"You can't stop me now!" he said, in a demonic growl.

"No?" said younger Paige.

"Watch us," said Piper, as Phoebe unfolded a piece of paper. They then proceeded to chant the spell written upon it.

"_From ancient times this power came  
for all to have, but none to reign ..."_

Zankou roared as his body began to glow red hot.

"_... Take it now; show no mercy,  
for this power can no longer be."_

Zankou's body continued to glow hotter and hotter. A wall of fire and light then began to surround him as his roars of pain grew louder.

"This is it!" yelled Phoebe.

Just then, Prue grabbed Paige's arm.

"Prue ...?

"Get ready ..." said Prue.

Just then, the heat overpowered Zankou and his body exploded. Prue and Paige quickly vanished as the explosion sent waves of fire throughout the basement, destroying everything in their path. When the waves had subsided, save for the foundations and staircase, nothing was left standing.

* * *

"PIPER! PHOEBE!"

Billie ran as fast as she could through the long corridor into the Grand Hall, tears running down her face.

As she reached the Hall, she saw everyone turn to her, and Piper and Phoebe rise to their feet. They walked over to her.

"Billie, what are you doing here?" asked Piper, "You're supposed to be with Lauren."

Phoebe, however, stared at Billie for a few moments.

"She's scared," murmured Phoebe, and then, to Billie, "Has something happened to Lauren?"

Billie nodded, sobbing.

"They got her ..."

"The darklighters?" asked Piper, and after a nod from Billie, "But that's impossible, what about the crystal cage?"

"Lauren ... sh-she accidentally de-activated it," said Billie, whilst taking deep breaths.

"Oh no ..." said Phoebe softly, hand on chest.

"Please ..." pleaded Billie, "You have to help me save her, please! If anything happens to her ..."

"Nothing will," said Phoebe, placing her hand on Billie's face softly, "We'll get her back!"

Billie frowned, and Phoebe smiled sadly.

"OK, Piper, you go with Billie," said Phoebe, turning to her.

"Me?"

"Yeah, well, your powers would be more useful," said Phoebe.

Piper looked from Phoebe, to the near-dead Paige, and then to the distraught Billie.

"OK ..." she said softly.

She moved closer to Billie, and put her arm around her.

"Sam," she called out, "can you orb us to the attic?"

"Why?" asked Sam, who was now beside Paige, along with Henry.

"Well, we need a spell, and some of Billie's special potions," explained Piper.

"OK ... hurry," said Sam, before waving his arm. Piper and Billie then orbed away.

Phoebe made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a sob.

"Oh please ..." she said, clasping her hands before her face, "Please don't let this happen ... not again ..."

* * *

Prue and Paige were now at the back of a gathering crowd. In the distance, they could see police cars, SWAT teams, and a van from Homeland Security, and, of course, the Halliwell Manor.

Suddenly, a man ran past them, whom both sisters quickly recognised.

"Let me through!" yelled Leo, weaving through the crowd, "I gotta get through!"

"Hey, whoa, now!" yelled the police officer before the barriers, "where do you think you're going?"

"I gotta get in, it's my house!"

"Have you got any ID?" asked the officer.

"Uh ... no," said Leo.

"Then you're not getting past."

"Yeah, but it's my wife!"

"Hey, you're NOT getting past!" said the officer, placing his hand on his gun holster,"Understand?"

"Yeah ..." said Leo softly, before turning, and making his way back through the crowd.

"What's going on?"

"What?" said Leo, turning to three women, "I don't know."

"Boy, sure hope no-one died in there."

"What ...?"

Leo looked at the women. There was a blonde, a brunette and a redhead, and all of them were smirking at him.

"Do we know each other?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," said the redhead, looking at the others, who nodded. She then approached Leo.

"After all ... we're _married_ ..."

She then took the hand of a confused Leo, and led him behind a large hedge. Prue and Paige gave each other a knowing smile, before joining the women and Leo.

After checking that no-one was watching, the three women faced Leo and clicked their fingers in unison. They were then all surrounded by bright white shimmering light.

Once the light had faded, the blonde had turned into Phoebe, the redhead into Piper and the brunette into Paige.

"Wha ...?" said Leo, shocked.

"Shh shh shh shh," said Piper softly, "It's all part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan?"

"Our plan to die," whispered Paige.

"It's the only way to get our lives back," explained Phoebe, "Our _normal_ lives."

"And to stop everybody from coming after us, including all of them," said Piper, motioning towards the crowd and law enforcement teams.

"But ..." said Leo.

"No, no buts! We're free! Nobody even knows we're alive anymore, not even the demons!"

"They think we died in there with Zankou, but they were just our astral selves," said Paige.

Leo stared in silence.

"Sweetie, we've got a clean slate," said Piper, "We can start all over again – no more demon fighting ever again!"

"Unless the demons figure it out ..." said Paige.

"... which may be never," said Phoebe, with a small smile.

"I don't know what to say," said Leo, smiling.

"Just say you're OK with it," said Piper.

"So we can get the next generation ready, to pick up where we left off," said Phoebe.

Leo grinned.

"How do I do it?"

"You don't," said Piper, "We do!"

"But don't worry – we'll make you good looking!" said Paige.

The three sisters then clicked their fingers in unison, transforming back into the blonde, redhead and brunette. Piper the redhead then clicked her fingers, and Leo transformed into a younger man with black hair and a stubbly chin.

"Cute ..." said Piper, "I can live with that!"

Leo smiled, before putting her hand around Piper. They then walked off, Phoebe and Paige following.

Prue and Paige followed them into the middle of the street. They then stopped as they saw the blonde Phoebe turn to her right and smile. They turned, and could see, in the distance, a man in a red shirt on the steps.

"Darryl ..." said Paige.

"Yeah, he moved after this, didn't he?" said Prue.

"Yeah, I kinda miss him a bit ..."

They watched Darryl walk down the steps, and away down the street. He appeared to have a bit of a spring in his step.

"I'm glad he knew we were alright," said Paige, "You know, just in case we _did _stay hidden ..."

"Yeah ..." said Prue, "Of course, that's not how things worked out."

"Nope," said Paige, with a small smile, "and it's all thanks to a certain Billie Jenkins ..."

* * *

"Lauren?"

Billie and Piper wandered through the dark caverns of the lair of the darklighters, which was oddly silent. They had yet to meet a single darklighter since they had arrived.

"Lauren?" called out Billie again, "Lauren!"

"Shh, Billie, keep it down," said Piper, "If this Arrow guy is as smart as you say, then this is most likely a trap!"

"I don't care!" yelled Billie, "LAUREN!"

They continued walking through a particularly long, dark tunnel, which branched out into several caverns. Billie tried running into each cavern they passed, and the more caverns that came up empty, the more frantic and scared Billie became.

"Oh no ... what if we're too late?" she said softly, as what seemed like the 15th cavern was also empty.

"Don't think like that, Billie!" said Piper, placing her hand on Billie's shoulders, "We _will_ find her!"

Billie frowned at Piper, before turning and continuing to call out Lauren's name. Throwing caution to the winds, Piper did the same.

They came up to another cavern. Billie wandered in, whilst Piper kept watch. A few moments passed, and then ...

"PIPER! SHE'S HERE!"

Piper gasped, butterflies in her stomach. She ran into the cavern, and through a series of shorter tunnels. Eventually, she reached the main cavern, and instantly spotted Billie, kneeling down on the ground. Piper ran to her, and she saw Lauren, lying on the ground, gasping for breath. A darklighter arrow was protruding from her stomach.

"Just like Paige ..." said Billie softly.

"OK, no time to waste," said Piper, "Let's get out of here!"

She put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a vial of grey liquid. She threw it to the ground, and as the vial smashed, the three of them were surrounded by thick, grey smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Piper and Billie were shocked to discover that they were still in the cavern.

"That should have worked," said Piper, "Why didn't that work?"

"**Because I didn't want it to!"**

Piper and Billie looked around the cavern, for the source of the booming voice.

"What was that?"

"Arrow ..." said Billie.

"**Aww, Billie, you remembered me," **said Arrow, a tone of mocking in his voice, **"and, of course, it's an honour to meet you, Piper, eldest of the Charmed Ones. Well, the now defunct Charmed Ones!"**

"He doesn't know about Paige ..." muttered Piper.

"What did you do?!" yelled Billie.

"**As soon as you found this lair, I sealed it with an intricate pattern of force-fields," **said Arrow.

"And you think that's gonna stop us?!" yelled Billie, "Well, think again!"

Billie then raised her arm towards the ceiling, and closed her eyes in concentration. The ceiling began to glow bright white, before a hole in the light formed. The hole grew wider and wider, but mere moments later, the circle quickly closed with a loud blast. Billie was knocked to the ground.

"Billie!"

Piper held out her arm to help Billie up.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"I couldn't do it ..." said Billie.

"**Of course not," **said Arrow, **"You see, force-fields are my speciality. The intricate pattern makes the seal much stronger."**

Piper grasped Billie's hand, Billie returning the pressure.

"**Sorry, ladies ... but you're not going anywhere!"**

* * *

"Piper, what do we do?" asked Billie, "I mean, Lauren's in pretty bad shape."

Piper looked down at Lauren, and gently stroked her face. Lauren's eyes closed at her touch.

"OK, here's what we do," said Piper, her voice shaking slightly, "You stay here and watch Lauren, and I'm going to go search for Arrow."

"What?" said Billie, "Why?"

"Well, Arrow is the one who conjured the seal. So, if we vanquish him, the seal should vanish, and we can get out of here."

"OK," said Billie, nodding, as Piper got to her feet, "Be careful!"

"You too," said Piper, as she walked off towards the small tunnels.

She entered the maze, with alert eyes and ears. She moved slowly and silently, so as to pick up on the slightest sound.

"**You think you can save her, Piper?" **bellowed Arrow, his voice echoing through the tunnels.

"That's the idea," said Piper, still walking and searching.

"**You witches never do know when to quit. It's over, Piper! Lauren will soon be dead, and there is nothing you can do about it!"**

"Well, I _could_ vanquish you!" said Piper.

"**You'd have to find me first!" **growled Arrow.

"Oh trust me, I plan to!"

Just then, the tunnels were filled with the echoing of Arrow's laugher. Piper stopped, turning on the spot for any glimpse of the darklighter.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Piper heard a sharp clicking noise behind her. She quickly turned around, raising her hands in fright. The arrow froze in mid-air, barely inches before her face.

She pushed the arrow to the ground, and as she did, she heard a faint shuffling of feet before her. She quickly flicked her hands out in front of her, and the resulting blast knocked Arrow to the ground.

"Invisibility spell – impressive," said Piper, as Arrow rose to his feet, "although you need to work a little on your stealth."

Arrow looked at Piper in fright, before turning and sprinting down the tunnels. Piper quickly followed.

"BILLIE," she yelled, "I'VE GOT HIM ON THE RUN!"

Back in the cavern, Billie turned to look at the entrance to the tunnels. Moments later, she saw Arrow run towards her. However, before she could do anything, he disappeared.

Moments afterwards, Piper appeared.

"Where's Arrow?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Billie, "He just vanished."

"Yeah, apparently that's another little power he's obtained from the demons."

Piper knelt down beside Billie.

"How is she?" she asked, looking down at Lauren.

"She's getting worse ..." whispered Billie. Piper placed her hand upon Lauren's pale face. The sweat on her face was cold, and her eyes were barely open. Her breathing was shallow and wheezy.

"We have to vanquish this bastard, and soon!" said Piper.

"But how?" asked Billie, "He can make himself invisible, how are we supposed to find him?"

"Wait ..."

Piper looked up at Billie, and stared at her for a few moments.

"What?"

"Your projection powers ..." said Piper, "Perhaps you can use them to find him, and maybe even reverse his invisibility."

"Well, maybe, but ..."

Billie looked down at Lauren, as she ran her hand through Lauren's hair.

"I'll stay with her," said Piper, now placing her hand on Billie's face, "Please, Billie, vanquishing Arrow is the only way we can get out of here!"

Billie sighed, and after one last look at Lauren, he nodded. Piper smiled sadly as Billie rose to her feet, and began to walk towards the tunnels.

"B-Billie ...?"

Piper turned to look at Lauren, who was staring at the spot were Billie had knelt.

"Shh shh, sweetie," said Piper, "It's OK, Billie's just trying to get us out of here."

"I'm ... I'm dying ... aren't I?" said Lauren softly, wheezing between words.

"No, no, you're not," said Piper soothingly, taking Lauren's hand in hers, "We are going to stop Arrow, and then we're going to take you to Magic School, and Paige's father can heal you. He's a whitelighter too, you know."

Piper kissed Lauren's hand, as Lauren managed a small smile.

"We won't let anything happen to you ..."

Meanwhile, Billie continued to search through the tunnels for Arrow. However, with not a sound to be heard, she could not find him.

"OK, Billie," she said, stopping after about a minute's searching, "Focus ..."

She closed her eyes and listened hard, trying to focus on the faintest of sounds, trying to break through the thick silence.

Suddenly, she heard a faint shuffling of rocks, coming from her left, towards the main cavern. She quickly made her way backwards, following the sound, which got louder the closer she got.

As she turned through the final bend before the entrance to the cavern, she stopped. She concentrated her senses on the space before her, and then held out her arm in front of her.

All of a sudden, a body of white light, in the shape of a man, began glowing brightly before Billie. The light then faded, to reveal Arrow, who was pointing his crossbow before him. Moments later, he noticed he was visible.

"What ...?"

He then turned around, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of Billie.

"Hello, Arrow," said Billie, "remember me?"

She then waved her arm, sending Arrow flying through into the cavern. He crashed against the wall, his crossbow flying out of his hands and sliding across the floor.

Billie ran into the cavern, and Piper turned from Arrow to her. Billie then noticed the crossbow, which was to the far right of the cavern.

"Piper, the crossbow!" yelled Billie.

Piper looked at the crossbow, and then at Arrow, who looked at her at the same time. Arrow then sprinted towards his crossbow, but before he reached it, Piper flicked her hand towards it. It exploded in a burst of fire.

"No!" yelled Arrow.

"Oh yes!" said Piper, before flicking her hand at him. The blast knocked him against the cavern wall again, as Piper rose to her feet.

"Billie, stay with Lauren," she said, as she began to walk towards Arrow. Billie obeyed.

Arrow rose into a sitting position as Piper reached him.

"I've figured out how you work, Arrow," said Piper, "You're a born hunter; you like to trap your prey before you strike. You did it with Paige, you did it with Lauren, and you even tried to do it with me and Billie. Well, guess what? Now it's your turn!"

Arrow glanced at Lauren's body. Smirking, he turned back to Piper.

"Ah ah ah!" he said tauntingly, Piper's hands clenched, ready to strike, "Now, you believe that vanquishing me, means you win, right?"

He got to his feet, as Piper looked at him, confused.

"Well, consider this if you will – Paige is dead, the Charmed Ones are no more, and as for Lauren ... well, let's face it, even after I've gone, you'll never save her in time!"

Piper turned to Lauren, who lay still, and Billie, who was consoling her.

"So, remind me – who's the _real_ winner here?"

Piper slowly turned back to Arrow. She crossed her arms.

"You want to know the answer?" she said, "Well, how about this – Paige isn't dead!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" scoffed Arrow, "I saw Drakor stab her myself!"

"True, but she's not _truly_ dead. She's in limbo with Prue – perhaps you've heard of her..."

"Prue, you say?" said Arrow, with another casual glance at Lauren, "How touching ... I take it she's there to help ease Paige's journey onto the next life?"

"Wrong," said Piper, "She's actually making sure that Paige _will_come back. And trust me, Arrow, when she does, she is going to continue helping future whitelighters, and vanquishing scum like you!"

"So, the answer to your question?" she continued, unfolding her arms, "At the end of the day ... we win, you lose!"

With one final glance at Lauren, Arrow smirked as he leered at Piper.

"We'll just see about that ..."

Piper flicked her hands at him, and Arrow roared in pain as he was vanquished in a burst of flames. At the same time, the ceiling above began to glow white for a few moments. The light then vanished.

"The force-fields are gone ..." said Piper softly.

"Piper, hurry, she's very weak!"

Piper turned and ran over to the girls. She looked down at the weak Lauren, and then up at Billie.

"DO you have any more potions?" asked Piper.

Billie put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the vial of grey potion.

"Good," said Piper, "Now let's get out of here!"

"OK," said Billie, and then, looking down at Lauren, "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine, Lauren. Lauren?"

Lauren's eyes were closed, and she did not reply.

"Lauren, can you hear me? Lauren?"

There was still no reply, and she did not appear to be breathing.

"Lauren ...?"

Piper gasped softly, and out her fingers to Lauren's neck, to try and feel a pulse. Moments later, she sighed deeply, and looked sadly up at Billie. Billie shook her head.

"No ..."

"Billie ..."

"Piper, please ... don't say it. I mean it, Piper, don't you _dare_ say it!"

Piper's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Sweetie, I am so sorry ..."

Billie's eyes then began to fill with tears.

"No ..." she sobbed, "No ... no ... NO!!"

Piper moved closer to Billie, and pulled her into a hug. Billie sobbed into her shoulder, and Piper looked down at Lauren's body, and began to sob too.

After everything they had gone through, they had arrived at the worst possible outcome.

Lauren Stevens was dead.


	16. Billie's Sorrow

OMG! The return of Sisters!

This has been FAR too long, and I apologise for that! It's just a LOT has happened, and I also lost motivation for this story. However, I got it back, and now the next chapter is finally here!

You'll also be happy to know that, having reached events in Season 8, we are into the final stretch of this story. Hopefully, within the next two months, it will finally be done.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing thus far, and I would love it if you kept reading! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

* * *

**Billie's Sorrow**

Phoebe paced up and down the length of the Grand Hall. Leo watched her, as Sam and Henry sat with Paige.

"Phoebe, pacing up and down like that won't bring them back any quicker," said Leo.

"Well, I can't help it, Leo, I'm worried," said Phoebe, "They should have been back by now. What if something's happened to them?"

"I'm sure they're fine," said Leo, "Piper and Billie are powerful enough to handle one darklighter by themselves."

"If that's the case, then they should have been back by now!" said Phoebe loudly.

She continued to pace, as Leo sighed sympathetically.

"OK, I can't take this anymore," said Phoebe, a few moments later, "I'm going to use the 'To Call A Lost Witch' spell."

"Phoebe …"

"No, Leo, we've waited long enough!" said Phoebe, coming to a halt, "I'm going to go and get the Book."

"Well, at least, let me take you."

Sam rose to his feet, and made his way over to Phoebe.

"Thanks, Sam," said Phoebe, then, turning to Leo, "Let us know if you hear anything."

Leo nodded, and Sam took Phoebe's hand. Just then, a bright, white light appeared in the middle of the Hall. The four shielded their eyes as it grew brighter, and then faded.

They then saw Piper and Billie kneeling beside Lauren's body.

"How did …?"

"Billie's projection power," said Phoebe, answering Sam's question, as she made her way towards the new arrivals. She caught a glimpse of Billie's face, and was shocked to see the mascara-coloured tear tracks on her face.

"Billie …?"

As she got closer, Phoebe turned to look at Lauren's body. She gasped softly as she saw the arrow protruding from her stomach.

"Oh no …"

Piper raised her head to look at Phoebe, and shook her head. Phoebe could feel the internal sorrow from both Piper and Billie, causing her to feel sad too.

"Oh, Billie," said Phoebe, tearfully, "I am so sorry …"

She knelt down beside Billie, moving her hand across her back consolingly.

"Sam …" said Billie softly, raising her head, "Could you … try and heal her?"

"Oh, Billie, I don't think …"

"Please …" said Billie, "Just try."

Sam sighed deeply, then knelt down by Lauren's body. He pulled the arrow from her stomach and placed his hands over the wound, the familiar warm light beaming down upon it.

For a few moments, the Grand Hall fell silent as everyone watched Sam try to heal Lauren. Eventually, however, the light faded as Sam pulled away.

"W-why are you stopping?" asked Billie.

"I'm sorry, Billie, there's nothing I can do …" said Sam softly.

"Of course there isn't …"

"Billie?" said Phoebe.

"I should have known that there would be no chance to save Lauren," said Billie, "She was someone I cared about, and that's a death sentence right there."

Everyone looked at Billie, shocked by her statement.

"Billie … you can't honestly believe that this was _your_ fault?"

"Of _course_ it's my fault!" yelled Billie, "Everyone I get close to - Lauren, my parents … Christie - they all die. It's like I'm cursed!"

"Billie …"

"I should probably leave here … before you all end up dead too!"

Sobbing, Billie rose to her feet, but before she could leave, Phoebe and Piper both stood to block her path.

"Billie, you're not cursed," said Piper.

"Oh yeah?" said Billie, "Can you say that for sure?"

"Billie …"

Phoebe and Piper slowly guided Billie over to a nearby seat, and they all sat.

"You know that your parents' death was not your fault," said Phoebe, "Demons were sent to kill them, probably by the Triad in order to separate you from us."

"And as for Lauren," continued Piper, "Arrow tricked us. He must have known she would soon die, and so he distracted us long enough for the poison to take effect."

"What about Christie?" said Billie.

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, exchanging looks of worry.

"Can't come up with an answer for that, can you? Why would that be? Oh, I know … because that _was_ my fault. I killed her … my own sister …"

Billie lowered her head in sorrow. Phoebe placed her hand on her chin, and gently motioned Billie's head up to face her. Phoebe could see the black marks of Billie's mascara-filled tears.

"Billie … the Christie that you once knew - your sister - was dead long before you deflected that fireball."

"What do you mean?" asked Billie, sitting upright, as she wiped her face.

"You gotta remember, Billie … Christie was raised by demons," said Phoebe, "They would have worked hard to destroy everything in her that makes her human - like the capability to truly care for someone."

"W-wait …" said Billie, "Y-you're saying that the Christie I saved … never really cared about me …?"

"I think she may have wanted to …" said Piper, "but the demonic influence was too overpowering."

"So, when you stood there with us in that room …" said Phoebe, "the person you faced … the person who threw that fireball at you … was not your sister. Just another force of evil."

"It doesn't ease the pain …" said Billie, "or the guilt …"

Phoebe moved her hand up and down Billie's back.

"You know … I do know what you're going through …"

"No, you don't," said Billie.

"Actually, I do … I can still remember how heartbroken I was when we vanquished Cole."

Both Piper and Billie looked at her.

"I loved him so much," she continued, "I even went against my sisters and married him to become the Queen of Evil."

"Woah …" said Billie.

"I know! Eventually, though, I realised what I had to do … even if it broke my heart."

"So … how did you manage to move on? To get rid of the guilt?" asked Billie.

"Well, I suppose it helped that he came back from the dead and tried to destroy our family once again," said Phoebe, "Kinda hard to feel guilty after that!"

"Lucky you …!" said Billie sarcastically.

"However …."

Billie and Piper looked at Phoebe once again.

" … I'll tell you what I used to tell myself - Cole was a tortured soul, just like Christie was. So, even though I missed him and did feel guilty, it helped to know that he was finally at peace."

"That would be nice …" said Billie softly, "to think that Christie was at peace …"

"Well, why not?" asked Piper, "I'm sure she's watching over you, with your parents, as the innocent child she once was."

"I sure hope so …"

With that, Billie stood up and walked over to Lauren's body, kneeling beside it.

"It won't bring her back though," said Piper softly, "Or Lauren."

"No," said Phoebe.

"It's so unfair. I mean, how can someone be in your life one minute, and then gone forever the next, with absolutely no way of getting them back? I mean, we've been witches for over eight years, Phoebe, and there are times when I still cannot fathom a reason as to why someone can be taken from this life well before their time."

"I know what you mean," said Phoebe, sighing.

The two sisters turned to each other.

"I'm scared, Phoebe," said Piper, in barely more than a whisper.

Phoebe pulled her sister into a hug.

"Me too," she said, "But we can't lose hope. Somehow … Paige will find her way home …"

"I know …" said Piper, "but Prue can't …"

* * *

Prue and Paige appeared in the upper corridor of the Halliwell Manor. They barely had time to look around before the younger Paige ran past with Piper and Phoebe towards the stairs. As they followed, they could hear the sounds of explosions from below.

"Hey! Thank her for me, will ya?"

"What? Who?" asked the sisters as Victor Webster ran past them. As Prue and Paige moved around them to get a better view, a demon flew through the air in front of them. His body exploded in a burst of flames as he hit the wall.

"Where did he come from?" said Phoebe.

The five sisters turned to look into the lower floor. Another demons threw a fireball at a woman in black, who front-flipped over it, landing at his feet. She took a small knife out from her boot as she stood, and stabbed him in the chest. He burst into flames, and was vanquished.

Just then, a demon rose to his feet in the conservatory behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, Paige could see Phoebe nervously try to catch the woman's attention.

"Behind you!"

The demon looked up at the sound of younger Paige's voice. The three sisters ducked behind the banister, as did older Paige.

"Paige!" said Prue, "He can't see you, remember?"

Paige rose slowly along with her sisters.

"Oh … yeah … sorry, force of habit."

Prue and Paige turned back to the lower floor. They saw the woman hold out her hand, and her knife, which was embedded in the conservatory wall, flew out towards her. She caught the handle and inserted the knife back in her boot. She then looked up at the sisters.

"Thanks!"

She then flipped over the couch and ran through the open front door.

"Show-off …" said Piper. She then led her sisters down the stairs to inspect the rooms for any damage.

"She always was a confident thing, our Billie," said Paige.

"Yeah …" said Prue, "Remember when you first met?"

Paige gave a small laugh as Prue conjured the magical screen. In it , they saw the woman in black dodging energy balls from a female demon in an alley.

* * *

_The woman flipped on top of a large bin, as an energy bolt hit it. The demon looked at her in shock, as the woman dropped back on the ground._

"_What are you trying to do - kill me?" she said._

_Just then, Paige orbed in, dressed, oddly, in a police officer's uniform._

"_You again?" said the woman._

_Using this distraction, the demon vanished in wisps of black smoke._

"_Look at what you did! I had her!"_

"_Then why did you call for me … again?" said Paige._

"_Uh, I didn't call for you," said the woman, "I don't even know you."_

"_Then maybe your inner witch does, because sadly … I'm your whitelighter."_

"_Whatever that means …" said the woman, as she tried to walk away. Paige then turned and grabbed her arm._

"_Hey! Let go of me!"_

"_I can't, not until I help you," said Paige._

"_I don't need anybody's help," said the woman, breaking free of Paige's grip. She then tried to get away again, but Paige orbed in front of her, blocking her path._

"_Well, you need my help, whether you like it or not."_

_She stared impatiently at Paige._

"_Are you a cop?"_

"_No …" answered Paige._

"_Good."_

_She then proceeded to attack Paige, while she countered her attacks. For a few moments, they remained locked in battle, until Paige smacked the woman across the face with force. She was knocked to the ground, and her black wig and glasses fell off. As the woman looked up at Paige, she was taken aback._

"_You're blonde?"_

_The woman then rose to her feet, and summoned back her knife, which was lodged into a wall of cardboard._

"_See ya!" said Billie, running past a frustrated Paige._

__

_

* * *

_

"Oh … I completely forgot I once applied to be a police officer …" said Paige.

"Not that it went far," said Prue.

"True …"

"Anyway," continued Prue, "You then confronted her at her dorm, where you introduced yourselves."

"Yeah, and I tried to talk her out of chasing demons … a fat lot of good _that_ did," said Paige.

"Which led to you rescuing her from 'Wonderland' …"

* * *

The demons laughed as her terrified screams echoed throughout the sewers.

"What is HAPPENING TO ME?"

" '_I'll be the judge, and the jury_,' said the cunning old fury," declared the female demon.

"And I'll try the whole case … then condemn you to DEATH!" bellowed Haas, the male demon.

"I don't think so!"

The two demons turned to see three women before them, unable to recognise them as the Charmed Ones in their magical disguises.

The witches quickly threw potions at the female, and she screamed as they made impact, vanquishing her.

"Billie, are you in there?" yelled Paige.

"Yeah …" came Billie's reply.

Haas knelt down beside the heap of ashes where his partner once stood.

"What have you done?" he said, "How did you do this? You killed her!"

"Bright side?" said Piper, as Haas rose to his feet, "At least she got to meet us first."

"I shouldn't have underestimated you," said Haas, "I knew you were alive."

"Too bad you won't be around long enough to tell anyone," said Phoebe.

Haas threw his arm back to conjure an energy ball, but the sisters quickly threw ore potions at him. Haas roared in agony as he erupted in flames, and then his body exploded, vanquished.

"Wow!" exclaimed an impressed Billie, as she walked towards the sisters.

"You're welcome," said Piper.

"I can't believe this! You guys really are the Charmed Ones!"

Piper cleared her throat as the sisters shuffled uncomfortably.

"I did a little research after you left," Billie explained, "The newspapers said you all died in some terrible accident."

"And which one are you?" she added, looking at Paige.

Paige turned to her sisters, smiling before she answered.

"I would be Paige."

"What do we do?" said Phoebe.

"Blow her up?" suggested Piper.

"Piper …!" said Paige, as Billie wore a shocked look.

"What, do you have any better ideas?"

"I'm not gonna tell anyone, if that's what you think, I promise!" said Billie.

"What's the catch?" said Piper.

"Well … show me the ropes. Teach me everything you know about witchcraft. Everything."

"Forget it," said Phoebe.

"Wait a second …" said Paige, looking at Billie, "What do you have to offer?"

"I can help you guys fight the demons, so you don't have to it all the time," said Billie, "I mean, I assume that _is_ why you faked your own deaths, right?"

Paige looked at Piper, for her opinion.

"You're right," she said, "she _is_ too smart for her own good!"

"Alright," said Paige, looking at Billie, "One condition … lose the cheap vinyl outfit!"

Billie looked at her outfit, shocked. Piper and Phoebe stared at it too.

"Sorry," said Paige, shrugging.

Billie looked at her, and sighed.

"OK … deal!"

She shared a smiled with Paige.

"Well … this oughta be interesting …" murmured Piper.

Meanwhile, Prue and older Paige had been watching the events from a nearby tunnel.

"Oh, if only she knew …" said Prue.

Prue and Paige grimaced at each other knowingly, before holding hands and flashing away.


	17. Friends New and Old

Jut a quick message this time! :P Hope you all had a great Christmas, and all the best for 2011! :) xx

* * *

**Friends New and Old**

They had appeared in a classroom of Magic School.

"Wait, are we back in the present time?" asked Paige.

"No, not yet …" replied Prue.

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching. At the same time, a large mass of blue orbs appeared by the doorway. They faded to reveal the Charmed Ones, who hid just as a group of demons walked by the room.

"Billie was right - it's Demon Central," whispered Phoebe.

The sisters looked through the doorway, and down the hall. They were listening to a conversation, but Prue and Paige could not hear it clearly enough.

"Leo …?" said Paige to Prue.

"And the Source," replied Prue.

"We gotta hurry - Leo's in trouble," said Piper suddenly.

"Yeah, well, how are we gonna stop the Source? We don't have nay potions!"

"It's gonna take a lot more than potions," said Phoebe, almost in reply to Paige.

"How did you do it last time?" asked Paige.

"Not the same way we're gonna do it this time," said Piper.

"You have a plan?" asked Phoebe.

"Yeah … and it starts with Mandi …"

The sisters continued to watch the scene down the hall, as Paige turned to Prue. She was not surprised to see her staring back at her, smirking.

"Yeah, yeah, I know exactly what you're going to say …" said Paige, "I should have known how they vanquished the Source, because I was there with them. Excuse me for forgetting!"

"You _forgot_?" scoffed Prue, "How could you _possibly_ forget vanquishing the Source of All Evil?"

"Call it a 'blonde moment'!"

"But you're not …"

"It's a figure of speech!" said an exasperated Paige, and Prue laughed. Paige looked at her, and could not help but laugh along with her.

"_I call upon the Power of Three,  
__Expel the demon, set Mandi free."_

Prue and Paige turned at Piper's words. The sisters were still standing in the same spot, but a few moments later, they walked out of the room. Prue and Paige followed them out and down the hall.

"What happened?" they heard a female voice roar, "Who did this?"

"We did," replied Piper, as the sisters stopped before the entrance to the Grand Hall. There, they saw a female demon with black hair tied into a bun, and an unconscious Mandi lying at her feet. Leo quickly grabbed little Wyatt and carried him to safety away from the other demon - the Source of All Evil.

"I should have known the Charmed Ones weren't really dead," he growled, as the female demon stared in shock, "Only you've gone soft in my absence …"

The Source appeared to stare directly at Piper, and she back.

"Without the Hollow, you can't hurt me!"

"Oh, really?" said Piper, "Hey, cupcake!"

She then threw her hands out towards the female demon, who was thrown into the air by the blast. She flew into the wall, and landed in a heap on the ground.

She quickly composed herself, but, before even the Source could attack, Piper threw her hands out again. This time, the blast was successful and the female demon roared as she was vanquished in a burst of fire.

"NOOOOO!"

Almost immediately afterwards, the Source was pulled into a vortex of fire. As it engulfed him, it exploded and vanished.

"Talk about your ball and chain," said Phoebe.

"I don't really understand - how did you, uh …?"

"Well, she conjured him, so they're connected," explained Piper to Paige, "She goes, he goes!"

"For eternity now," said Phoebe.

"OK …" said Paige, "Well, we probably should get out of here, before any other demons recognise us …"

"What are we going to do with her?" said Phoebe, motioning towards the unconscious Mandi.

"Ah, c'mon, we don't need to save her …?"

Phoebe stared at Piper in disbelief.

"What? She's still too perky …"

Prue and Phoebe shared a laugh again.

"She was a bit too perky, though," agreed Paige.

"Well, you know, it's believed that victims of possession actually do, in some small way, remember what they've been through," said Prue, "You never know … the whole ordeal might make her more likeable …"

"Oh, I doubt that!"

The sisters chuckled as they vanished once again.

* * *

In a contrast to the events Prue and Paige were witnessing, things had fallen silent within the Grand Hall of Magic School on the living plain. Lauren's body had been moved into another room out of respect for her, and Billie, who became more distraught every time she looked at her.

Billie now sat in silence by Piper and Phoebe, as they consoled her. Leo too sat by them, whilst Henry and Sam kept their vigil by Paige.

Moments passed with barely a sound, and then …

"Phoebe?"

The disembodied voice echoed throughout the Grand Hall, and everyone looked around, trying to find the source.

Suddenly, a bright lilac light appeared at the entrance to the Hall. As it faded, a tall man appeared in its place, wearing a shirt and pinstripe trousers.

"Coop …"

As soon as she saw him, Phoebe rose to her feet and walked towards him, and he embraced her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"The Elders told me what happened," explained Coop, "I thought you guys might need …"

At that moment, Coop laid eyes on Paige's unconscious body.

"Has there been any change?"

"Not for a while," Phoebe said softly, "All we know is that she's safe with Prue."

"Prue? Wait, you mean …?"

Coop stopped as he suddenly noticed Piper consoling Billie.

"Is she OK?" asked Coop.

"Uh, no," said Phoebe, "We … lost her best friend to the same dark lighters that attacked Paige."

Coop sighed deeply, and held Phoebe tighter. Sensing his concern and sympathy, Phoebe returned it.

"Uh, listen …"

Everyone turned to Henry.

"I think … that we should probably get in contact with Lauren's family …"

"Good idea," said Piper, and then looking down at Billie, "Umm, sweetie, do you know anything about her family?"

"Uh …" said Billie weakly, lifting herself up, "I'm pretty sure … her parents live in San Francisco."

"OK …" said Piper, "So, Henry, do you think that you could find them?"

"Well, I have the right materials …"

"I'd like to go too."

Piper looked at Billie, as she sat on the edge of the chair.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Billie, "Lauren was my friend - in fact, she was the closest thing I've had to a sister, since …"

Billie fell silent for a few moments, as Piper and Henry looked at each other in mutual empathy for her.

"I want to do this … for her," she continued.

"OK …," said Henry, "If you're sure …"

Billie nodded slowly.

"Alright …" said Piper, "Uh, Sam, would you mind …?"

"Orbing them to the station?" finished Sam, with a smirk.

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all," said Sam, "You guys ready?"

Henry rose to his feet instantly, but Billie did so hesitantly. Both then walked over to Sam, and held hands with each other and him. The three then vanished in a swirl of blue orbs.

Piper sighed softly, before turning to see Phoebe and Coop approach her and Leo.

"I really don't think we should have let her go," said Piper.

"She wanted to go," said Leo.

Phoebe and Coop gathered a couple of chairs to sit beside Piper and Leo as they talked.

"Yeah, but I don't think she'll be able to face Lauren's parents and tell them about what happened. And what if she tells them the truth?"

"Piper …" said Phoebe, now seated, "I think Billie's smarter than that …"

"I hope so … because the last thing she needs right now is to feel more alone than she already does …"

* * *

Phoebe and Paige were sat at the dining table in their nightwear. They were both playing idly with her food, in silent thought.

Just then, Piper and Leo walked into the room.

"Morning," said Leo.

"Morning …" said Phoebe and Paige, in a bored tone.

"What's the matter?" asked Piper.

"Oh … I don't know," said Phoebe, "I guess the same thing that's been bothering you guys."

Piper and Leo looked at each other, confused.

"What makes you think something's been bothering us?" asked Leo.

"Thin walls," replied Paige.

"You've been _eavesdropping_?" exclaimed Piper.

"Only from the bathroom," said Phoebe.

"Yeah, and the hallway," said Paige, "but don't worry, haven't been listening to any, you know … 'funny stuff'."

Leo smiled nervously.

"Uh, how long has this been going on?" demanded Piper.

"Since like the fourth or fifth grade …" said Phoebe, with a small laugh.

Piper scoffed, and turned to Leo.

"I'll fix it!" he laughed.

"Basically," said Paige, "I don't think this whole thing is working for any of us anymore."

"I don't think it ever worked," said Phoebe.

"Well, it helped you find a new life outside of fighting demons …" said Leo.

"… which is something we need to keep trying to do …" said Piper.

"Well, we've got Billie, so that's going to make it easier," said Paige.

"Yeah, but it doesn't solve our bigger problem, which is how we're going to get out of this mess," said Phoebe, "I mean, I'm so … tired of pretending to be someone else. I miss me."

Piper nodded absent-mindedly in agreement.

"Well, maybe that's what your premonition was for" said Paige, "Maybe you wouldn't have realised that if you hadn't married Dex."

"Yeah, but I _didn't_ marry Dex. _Julie_ married Dex."

"I think that's her point," said Leo, "I think that's everyone's point - you want your old identities back."

Paige nodded in agreement, as Piper looked at Phoebe, who smiled.

"Are we sure we _really_ wanna do this?" asked Piper.

"Positive," said Paige.

"Absolutely," said Phoebe.

Piper then turned to Leo, who nodded.

"Alright then."

Phoebe and Paige rose to their feet, as Piper and Leo walked around behind them. Phoebe pulled out a piece of paper from her dressing gown pocket, as they all faced the mirror on the opposite wall. In it, they could all see their magically-gained new identities.

"Are you sure you can rework the spell?" asked Piper.

"Oh, I already have …"

Phoebe then read the spell written on her piece of paper:

"_I call upon the ancient powers_

_To unmask us now and in future hours,_

_Show us well and thoroughly,_

_Reveal ourselves so the world can see."_

Suddenly, the four were surrounded by a bright white light. As it faded, they saw, not their new identities, but their familiar old faces smiling back at them.

"Ooh, now that's more like it!" exclaimed Paige.

"It's good to be back," grinned Phoebe, "although Dex is gonna freak out!"

"Everyone's gonna freak out, because technically, we're still dead," said Paige, "How exactly are we gonna explain this?"

Piper and Leo looked at each other.

"Well, it's nice to know they can't overhear _everything …_"

Paige and Phoebe looked at Piper, confused.

"You have a plan?" asked Phoebe.

"Go get dressed," said Piper, smirking, "I'll explain on the way …"

The sisters walked towards the staircase.

"Do _you_ know what she's talking about?" muttered Phoebe.

"Not a clue," replied Paige.

As they left, Piper and Leo smiled at each other.

"You sure this is gonna work?" asked Leo.

"If I know Agent Murphy as well as I think I do …"

They shared a gentle kiss before following the sisters up the staircase. As they did, a bright pink and white light flashed from the conservatory.

* * *

Prue and Paige appeared in the corridor of what looked like an office building, with men and women in suits walking back and forth. Paige turned around to see one woman sitting behind a desk, which was before an office door. Turning back, she saw the huge emblem on the wall ahead, which comprised of a circle which read "Homeland Security". Within the circle were three stars, each of which contained one of the words "Land", "Sea" or "Air".

"Oh, I remember this …" said Paige.

"I thought you might," said Prue, smirking, "And … here you come now …"

The sisters watched as, from around the corner, Piper, Phoebe and the younger Paige walked through the corridor. They seemed to walk with an air of pride, enjoying the shocked stares of the people that passed them.

As they approached the office at the end of the corridor, the secretary rose to her feet slowly. She was clearly gob smacked.

"Hi! How's it going?" said Piper cheerfully, as the sisters paused before her, "Uh, by any chance is Agent Murphy in?"

"Who … who should I say is asking?" stuttered the secretary.

"Oh, I don't know girls … maybe we should just _surprise_ him!" said Paige.

The sisters, even Prue and Paige, smiled as the secretary still stared in complete shock. She nodded slightly, and then led the way to the office door. Prue and Paige looked through the door as the four women walked through, and saw Agent Murphy rise to his feet as he saw the sisters.

"What the hell?"

"What's the matter, Agent Murphy?" asked Phoebe, "You look like you just saw a ghost!"

"Leave us," said Agent Murphy, and a moment later, Prue and Paige saw the secretary walk through the doorway.

"Keyes was right …"

"So were you," said Piper, as the secretary closed the door.

"And so … you were back," said Prue.

"And glad to be so," said Paige, "That whole magical identity thing was getting tiresome, and we missed our real selves."

"And apparently … so did a lot of people …"

Prue conjured the magical screen again, which showed Piper staring into a mirror at her own reflection.

* * *

"_How do I look?" Piper asked, with a sigh._

"_Not bad, considering you've been dead," said Paige, stepping in front of her._

"_Well, I just hope this blows over sooner rather than later," said Piper._

"_Don't count on it - we're not that lucky!"_

_Both sisters took a deep breath._

"_Alright … we can do this," said Paige, "We are back … and better than ever!"_

"_Mm-hmm … I'll hold you to that!" said Piper, as she followed Paige out of the room._

_As they walked into the main area of P3, the crowd suddenly turned to face them._

"_There they are!"_

_They cheered, applauded and took photos. Paige and Piper stood in the centre of the crowd, waving and smiling._

"_Well, we're back," said Paige._

_She and Piper beamed at each other as the crowd continued to welcome them back._


	18. Vaya Con Leos

Hooray, new chapter!

Not the best one, in my opinion. Sorry, it's all about one episode, Vaya Con Leos. A great episode, I'm sure you'll agree, and the reason it's so long is because I struggled to decide which parts to include.

Chapters should hopefully be more frequent in the future. :)

Enjoy! x

**

* * *

**

**Vaya Con Leos**

Prue and Paige's next destination was the attic of the Halliwell Manor.

"Well … haven't been here in a while …" said Paige.

She then turned to Prue, who was staring at her.

"Prue? What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking …" said Prue, "I mean, we're kinda more or less into the last run of memories to go through …"

"Yeah, I guess so …"

"It's just … do you think you've learned anything new?" asked Prue, "Is there something this whole journey has taught you?"

Paige pondered for a moment, thinking back on all they had seen.

"Hmm … well, there's the fact that Cole helped Piper bring Leo back from the Elders, and also introduced Drake to Phoebe … but I don't think that that was what I needed to learn."

"No …" agreed Prue.

"Uh …" muttered Paige, "Maybe … oh! Well, I learned about how much you wanted to be with our sisters throughout all this …"

"But … isn't that a bit … obvious?" asked Prue.

"Maybe …"

Just then, Piper stormed in through the open door. The sisters stopped their discussion to focus on the memory.

"Alright, mister!" she yelled, "I know you're lurking somewhere … and if you want something, you need to get your Grim Reaping ass down here, or stop bugging me!"

Prue and Paige watched the blue smoke materialise behind Piper. It morphed itself into a body shape, and then vanished to reveal a tall, blonde man dressed in black.

"The Angel of Death …" said Prue and Paige softly.

"There's no need to be rude!"

Piper turned around to face him.

"I was only trying to do you a favour," said Death.

"Favour?" scoffed Piper, "Well, I don't want any favours from you!"

"Oh, you'll want this one!"

Death sighed, unfolding his crossed arms.

"You know, my job was so much easier before I met you and your sisters … it was so much less complicated."

"For what it's worth …" said Piper, "I don't think taking people's lives should be all that easy to do."

"It never is," said Death, "Still, it's inevitable …"

Paige turned to Prue as he spoke, Prue giving a small sad sigh.

"You're not taking me!" smirked Piper.

"You're right, I'm not."

Death then approached Piper, hesitating before he spoke.

"I'm taking Leo."

Piper was shocked into silence for a moment.

"What?"

"It's curious - I actually feel bad about it …" said Death, pondering the situation, "No doubt a reflection about my knowing you. I don't normally get to know people long in my line of work, obviously!"

"You can't have him!" said Piper.

"You don't have a choice! That's why I came earlier - I wanted to warn you, to give you time to prepare … to say goodbye."

"No!" said Piper loudly.

"I'm afraid you don't have much time …"

Piper sighed sharply, trying to maintain her composure.

"Why …?" she said, calmly.

"I'm not about why, or how, Piper," said Death, "I'm simply when. You know that."

Piper shook her head in disbelief.

"It's not right, and it's not fair!" she said, her voice shaking, "Not after everything we've gone through, and everything we've been promised …!"

"There's a reason for everything … even this. You know that too, Piper."

As Paige looked at Death, even as she considered how many times he had interfered in her life, she could not help but feel a little sorry for him.

"I am sorry …"

Death then vanished with his blue smoke, as Paige turned back to Prue again. She did not say anything, but merely watched Piper walk over to a small round table upon which sat a small cauldron and several other items.

Piper picked up a notepad and pen, and began to create a spell.

"Prue …?"

Prue did not answer Paige, who sighed sympathetically as she turned her attention to her other sister.

_"Hide him from sight,_  
_So I might fight,_  
_Ignore which leaves bereft,_  
_My husband from the Angel of Death."_

As she finished reciting her spell, Piper opened her eyes. She then heard a clatter coming from below, and ran out of the attic.

Paige followed Piper's movements, and then turned back to Prue.

"Prue, are you OK?"

Prue was silent for a few moments, and then she turned to Paige. She had not cried, but her face still portrayed the sorrow she felt inside.

"I'm sorry Paige … I just … seeing Death brought back some memories of my own."

"You mean, when you died …?" said Paige softly.

"Oh no … well, not just that," said Prue, "Before I died, my path crossed with Death's, and I blamed him for taking our mother from me. He then told me that I was on his list, but circumstances had changed my fate. The whole thing just made me realise how long I had bared a hatred with him, and how I had never truly moved on …"

"Oh, sweetie …"

Paige walked over to Prue, and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Prue gave a small laugh.

"Look at us!" she said, "I'm supposed to be the one helping you."

"Well, I don't see why we can't help each other …" said Paige, "That's what sisters do, right?"

Prue turned to Paige, and they shared a smile. They then vanished from the attic.

* * *

They re-appeared in downtown San Francisco. Across the street from where they were standing, Paige could see the nursery that Wyatt attended.

"You know, the meter's running, pal!"

Prue and Paige lowered their heads to look into the yellow taxi before them. Inside, they saw Leo in the back seat … and Leo in the driver's seat.

The passenger Leo handed the driver Leo a $50 bill.

"Here, take a break!" he said.

"Fine by me!" grinned the driver, as he stepped out of the taxi. Leo sighed as he looked out of the window towards the nursery.

"Quite a spell Piper wrote, huh?" said Prue.

"At least it distracted Death for a while …" said Paige.

Just then Death appeared on the seat beside Leo. Leo turned around, and sat up straight in fear.

"Who are you?"

"If you can see me, then you know," replied Death, "It wasn't easy finding you … though, I must admit I did rather enjoy the challenge."

"Please, I …"

"Don't bother. Trust me, I've heard it all before!"

"But I don't understand why!" said Leo. Death lowered his head.

"I mean, my first life ended prematurely," he continued, as Death avoided eye contact, "I gave up being a whitelighter and … and the Elders so I could live again …"

Death turned back to him.

"… so I could love again … You're telling me that that can't happen now?"

"All life ends, Leo … sooner or later."

Leo looked at Death, on the verge of tears. He turned away from him to look back at the nursery.

"Can I at least see my son again …?"

Death then suddenly vanished. Leo turned back to find him gone.

As he turned back, Paige heard screeching and looked up to see a large pick-up truck approaching the taxi fast.

"LEO!"

Just then, Prue grabbed Paige's arm, and just as Paige saw the truck hit the side of the taxi, the bright light surrounded her. The sound of the taxi's horn echoed as they vanished.

* * *

"Paige, are you OK?"

Paige leaned against the wall of the Manor hall, taking deep breaths.

"I'm … I'm sorry Prue …" she said, "That was just … a bit of a shock …"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," said Prue, placing her hand on Paige's back, "but just remember … this is in the past. Leo is fine now."

"I know, I know …"

Paige took another deep breath, and stood upright.

"Just … please warn me if we're going to see something like that again …"

"What do you want from me?"

Paige and Prue turned and walked towards the living area. As they looked in, they saw Piper confronting the Angel of Death again.

"I've already told you, there's nothing I can do. It's Leo's time," continued Death.

"I'll get Wyatt to heal him somehow," said Piper, "He's not dead yet."

"No … but he soon will be."

"You said there was a reason behind this."

"There's a reason behind everything," said Death, "That's why it's called the 'Grand Design'."

"But specifically this," said Piper, "You made a point of telling me that there was a reason, just like you made a point of warning me it was going to happen in the first place

"Right …"

"I'm not asking you to save Leo, because I know you can't," she continued, "I'm just asking you to tell me who can."

Death looked away nervously.

"I need to know why this is happening, especially if it was not an accident."

Death looked back at Piper, quickly, as if something she has said struck a familiar chord.

"I'll pull every connection I have if you just point me in the right direction," she finished.

Death hesitated nervously for a moment or two before answering.

"You know … I could get in a great deal of trouble for this …"

He paused for a moment, as Piper stared at him.

"I don't know what the greater reason is, but I do know there is one," he said, "Perhaps you should speak to those who know more about the Grand Design than I do."

He then vanished in the blue vapour-like smoke.

"Thank you …" said Piper. She then turned to walk through into the conservatory.

Paige was just about to follow her, when Prue grabbed her arm and the familiar white light surrounded them. However, when it passed, they were both standing in the exact same spot they had mere moments ago.

"Uh, Prue …?"

"An Avatar? What are you trying to do?"

Prue followed her sister through the house, following Piper's previous path through to the conservatory.

"I'm trying to save my husband's life … anyway I can!"

* * *

As they entered the conservatory, Prue and Paige saw Piper facing an Elder, while the tall female Avatar stood behind her.

"The very fact that you dare put me in a room with an Avatar …"

" … shows the open minded view she is capable of having …" interrupted the Avatar.

"… says the one whose single minded beliefs nearly destroyed us all!"

Piper stopped the conversation with a sharp loud whistle, and Paige winced as it invaded her eardrums.

"Listen!" she said loudly, "I am only interested in talking about Leo right now, and I have it on very good authority that one or both of you can tell me why this is happening."

"So … I'm listening …" she finished, and walked to the side as the Elder and Avatar looked at each other nervously.

"I don't know what you're talking about …" said the Elder.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" said Piper, looking from one figure to the other, "Look, I don't care how it happens, I don't care who does it, but one of you is going to save Leo, because both of you owe him!"

Both remained silent.

"Are you telling me that you won't heal Leo?"

The Elder could not reply.

"Or you? That you don't have the power to fix this?"

The Avatar looked at the Elder, who looked back.

"Will somebody say something?"

"It's not that we won't, Piper …" explained the Elder, "… we can't!"

"Using our powers to save Leo … it's a path that neither Elder nor Avatar can travel," said the Avatar.

"Hang on a second …" sighed Piper, "Are you telling me that the first time you two agree on anything is when you both decide to let my husband die?"

Again, both stared at one another, unable to answer.

"I don't think so!" said Piper, turning away.

"I'm sorry …"

"No! You listen to me!" said Piper angrily, storming towards the Elder, "Leo, at one point in his life, believed in both of your causes. He devoted his life at the expense of his family … to those beliefs, and you're telling me that you won't save that life?"

"Why the hell can't you tell me what's going on?" she continued, "What is your big secret?"

After yet another exchange of looks with the Avatar, the Elder answered Piper nervously.

"It's just we don't have the … authority to share that information …"

"Fine! Well, if you don't, then who does?"

"You may want to think twice …" said the Avatar, as Piper turned to face her, "before going there."

"Going where?" asked Piper.

"You're going to need your sisters …"

Piper turned to look at the Elder in bewilderment, and perhaps fear, as Prue grabbed Paige's hand.

* * *

They re-appeared in the attic, and saw the sisters standing in a circle.

"I've told you to warn me when you're going to do that …"

"Shh, watch …" said Prue.

Piper began to recite a spell:

_"Power of Three, we summon thee,_  
_And call to us the Angel of Destiny."_

As she recited, a yellow orb of light began to swirl down from the heavens. The sisters separated as the orb entered the middle of the circle

It then erupted, and particles of light swarmed together to form the figure of a woman. She was black, and dressed in light blue sweeping robes.

"Who are you to summon me?"

"You don't look like the one we've met before," said the younger Paige, as she moved beside Piper.

"There are many destinies, and many Angels," explained the Angel of Destiny.

"Do you know why we called you?" asked Piper.

"Yes … though there's nothing I can do for you," said Destiny, somewhat sternly, "This is Leo's destiny."

"Why? Who says?" asked Piper.

"Who do you think?"

"Don't go there," warned Phoebe, as she too moved beside Piper.

"Listen, lady, I've jumped through a lot of hoops to get you here, and I want some answers, and I mean fast," demanded Piper.

"Easy, Piper …" warned Paige.

"This was not any random 'accident'," continued Piper, in the same tone, "There's more to it than that, and I want to know what."

"Who says there's more?" said Destiny.

"The Angel of Death …"

"… and an Elder …" said Paige.

"… and an Avatar," said Phoebe.

"Looks like I'm going to have to have a little chat with them," said Destiny.

"First you're going to have to have a little chat with me," said Piper, "Now, I don't understand this whole 'grand design' scheme, nor do I want to, but if your only concern is where we end up, isn't it up to us, with free will and all, how we get there?"

"Go on," said Destiny, staring intensely at Piper.

"Just explain to me why Leo is destined to die right now. What does it mean for the whole 'big picture'? Because maybe there is a way for us to get there … that he doesn't have to die."

Destiny stared at Piper, silently.

"You have to give a chance - you, at least, owe us that."

For a few moments, Destiny and Piper looked each other in the eyes, both still, both silent. Even Prue and older Paige, who knew what would happen, held their breath in suspense.

Suddenly, Destiny's eyes began to glow bright yellow, her pupils vanishing in the glow. Piper's expression did not change, but Paige and Phoebe stared in bewilderment.

Moments passed, then her eyes reverted to normal.

"There's one more battle on the horizon for you three: one unlike you've ever faced before, one you won't see coming, and one … you may not survive."

Piper shook her head, eyes welling up.

"What does that have to do with Leo?" she sobbed.

"The loss, the pain, will motivate you, all of you to fight, without which you will have no chance to prevail," said Destiny, somewhat empathetically.

Piper looked at Destiny, with tears in her eyes.

"Won't you please try to let us find a way to do this without Leo dying?" pleaded Phoebe.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" asked Destiny.

"Ready?" asked Prue.

"Yeah …" said Paige softly, as Prue grabbed her hand.

"Well … I know this demon …"

The sisters vanished as Phoebe began to explain her idea to save Leo.

* * *

"Where am I?"

Piper walked away from her sisters and Billie as she approached Leo in the cold cave.

"It doesn't matter," she said, as she stood upon the pedestal that Leo stood on, "All that matters is you're gonna be safe."

"What do you mean?" asked Leo, "What's going on?"

"… Remember when I told you just had to trust me? This is the only way …"

"The only way …? Piper …"

"It's just … I have to lose you to save you," said Piper, as Leo looked at her, shocked, "It's just … our screwed up destiny, and … you kinda got caught in the middle."

"I'm so sorry …"

Piper began to sob into her hands, as Phoebe bowed her head in sorrow.

"It's alright, I … um …" said Leo softly, "We've been through worse …"

"No … we haven't."

Piper and Leo looked at each other sadly.

"We're going to get through this," insisted Leo.

Piper looked to the floor, and then back up, sighing sharply.

"Of course we will …"

"It's time," said Destiny, softly and sadly.

As Piper sobbed, Destiny turned to look at a demon standing behind a large rock. In the rock was a group of crystals stored in holes.

The demon placed a crystal in one of the holes. It glowed.

Piper looked up at Leo for the final time.

"I love you."

"I love you too," replied Leo, smiling sadly.

Through tears, Piper approached Leo, and they kissed lovingly. As they ceased, Piper held Leo's face in her hands, savouring the few fleeting moments left.

She sobbed as she stepped down and back from the pedestal.

As she looked at her husband, he looked up to Phoebe, who blew him a farewell kiss.

He then looked at Paige, and saw the tears streaming form her eyes.

Solemnly, he looked back to Piper, as the demon placed a large crystal into another hole in the rock.

As it glowed, a blue barrier appeared around the pedestal. Piper, Phoebe, Billie, Prue and both Paiges looked at Leo for his last seconds of consciousness.

The demon turned the large crystal clockwise in its hole, and suddenly, a large case appeared around Leo. His frozen body was trapped inside.

Piper buried her head in her hands, as the others simply stared in disbelief.

"You will find your sister, Billie," said Destiny, as Billie turned to her, "It's your destiny."

Billie gasped softly, as Destiny turned to Piper.

"If you prevail, he will be returned. If not …"

Piper then watched as Destiny disappeared in the particles of glowing yellow light. They formed an orb, which sped around Leo's icy prison. As the orb rose to the heavens, the cage slowly vanished as it went with it.

Piper watched the orb fly away, shaking her head in sorrow. She then sobbed into her hands.

She slowly turned and made her way towards her family. Paige wrapped her arms around Phoebe and Billie, as Phoebe held Billie's arm and Piper placed her arm around her.

"Let's go home …" sobbed Piper, and the four orbed away.

"Oh, Piper …"

All of a sudden, Paige was interrupted as she saw a mysterious green fog surround the crystal demon.

"Wait …" he growled, "No …! I did what you asked, didn't I? I kept them from finding out about her sister!"

He then yelled in anger as the fog compressed around him, vanquishing him in a burst of fire. The fog then spun across the cave towards another of the many ice cages and destroyed it. It then vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Wait … what was that?"

"I think you might already know …" said Prue, "Think about it - it didn't want you to know about Christie …"

Paige realised almost immediately.

"The Triad …?"

Prue nodded in reply.

"Whoa …" said Paige softly. She then sighed sadly.

"Still … I can't believe Piper and Leo had to go through this. They always have to go through hell and back …"

"I know," said Prue, "but the fact that they fight back and survive each and every time just proves that they're destined to be together."

"Like … you and Andy?"

"Perhaps …" said Prue, smirking, "Or maybe … you and Henry?"

Paige smirked back, as Prue took her hand and they vanished.


	19. Familiarity

And now, after a much longer wait than necessary ... the next chapter of Sisters.

So sorry for the long pause. My "reason" this time is because my muse wasn't up to her usual standard. :P

However, I have the rest of the chapters all planned out more or less, so hopefully this story will end in the coming weeks! :)

Anyway, enjoy! :)

P.S. There is now an "official" opening to this fan-fiction. Special thanks go to the YouTube user TheSeriesManiak, who won my YouTube contest.

Link for vid (add YouTube to beginning of link): .com/watch?v=nC1CNFtZHL4

* * *

**Familiarity**

There was complete silence in the Grand Hall. Sam and Henry, who had bonded well as a result of Paige's 'death', were sitting beside Paige, whilst Phoebe and Coop were leaned against each other on one of the couches. Piper and Leo were in the nursery with Wyatt and Chris.

It had been some time now since any developments in the current situation, and doubt was beginning to set in amongst the group. This was most obvious to Phoebe, as a result of her returning empathy power.

"We can't give up hope."

Coop, Henry and Sam were all taken aback by this sudden statement from Phoebe.

"What's that?" asked Coop.

"I'm an empath again, remember? I can sense that you're all beginning to wonder if Paige will ever come back."

"Can't hide anything from you, can we?" said Sam, with a small laugh.

"But we can't think like that," said Phoebe, "She's with Prue, and if there's one thing I know about my big sister, it's that she'll do anything to protect her family. She'll make sure that Paige comes back, I know she will!"

The three men looked at each other, smiling slightly. Phoebe could sense that there was still some disbelief.

"I know you're thinking that I'm just an optimist, but I know it will happen. I mean, how many times have Paige, Piper and I come back from the brink of death before? Heck, even you have, Henry!"

"Yeah, but only because Paige was by my side," said Henry.

"And now, Prue is by hers."

Henry's smile grew wider, and Phoebe was enlightened by his new found optimism.

Just then, a loud ringing sound came from Phoebe's pocket. She reached in and pulled out her mobile. She read the name on the phone's display.

"Elise? Why is she calling?"

She pressed the call button, and placed the phone over her ear.

"Hello? Elise?"

"_Phoebe!" _called Elise's voice, "_How's my favourite advice columnist? More importantly, how's her column coming along?_"

Phoebe placed her hand over the phone, her eyes wide in shock.

"Uh-oh …!"

"What is it?" asked Coop.

"I completely forgot that my column was due in today!" she muttered, "It's only half done!"

"Well, I'm sure your boss would understand, given the circumstances," said Sam.

"Yeah, that'd be an interesting conversation. 'Yeah, sorry Elise, I can't hand in my column today, because it turns out that my sister is trapped in limbo, on a trip down memory lane with my other sister who died over 5 years ago.'"

"Well, just say she's in a coma in hospital or something," suggested Henry.

"_Hello? Phoebe? Are you there?_"

Phoebe reluctantly placed the phone back up to her ear.

"Hi, yeah, sorry Elise."

"_So? How's the column?_"

"Yeah, about that … listen, I'm sorry Elise, but I kinda have a …"

"_Phoebe, the next two words out of your mouth had better not be 'family emergency'. I thought you told me that you were done with those._"

"Yeah, and I thought so do, but …"

"_Is it life or death?_"

"Well … yeah, actually, it is."

"_Oh … I'm sorry to hear that._"

She did indeed sound sorry, and Phoebe could sense the guilt in her voice as well.

"Yeah, It's Paige. She was in a terrible accident, and is in a coma. It's almost like … she's in limbo, caught between life and death. I just … haven't been able to concentrate on anything just now."

"_No, of course I understand … I suppose we could do a 'Best of Phoebe' this week, and we can keep in touch about the future."_

"Oh, Elise, I really appreciate this …"

"_Think nothing of it. You be with your sister, and I'm sorry for being so harsh."_

"Think nothing of it, it's OK."

"_No, it's not. I hope your sister gets through this."_

"Me too. I'll keep you posted."

"_Ok. Bye, Phoebe._"

"Bye."

Phoebe finished the call, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Told you she'd understand," said Sam.

"Yeah … she can be a ruthless boss at times, but she does have a heart," said Phoebe, with a smile.

She then looked at Paige.

"Everyone's rooting for you, sweetie. Find your way back …"

* * *

"You two … you fought like cats and dogs, you know. You were as widely different as any two kids could ever be … and you were inseparable …"

"We were?" said Billie.

"Oh yeah …" said her mother, hugging the picture she held as she turned to face her, "Of course, Christie loved to get you in trouble … a lot! Took your father and me a while to figure that out. She was very sneaky that way!"

"You know, I don't remember that much about her …" said Billie, "There's little moments, and things here and there, but … most of what I remember of her, I loved."

"Aw honey …" said her mother softly, as she made her way to sit on the bed beside her, "she adored you. She was very protective of you too - no-body could pick on you … except her."

"Why didn't you tell me you kept looking for her?"

"I dunno … we should have. We just … didn't know what to do. When it happened, we were devastated. Maybe it _was_ wrong, for all of us … but we made the choice to try and make life as normal as possible for you. I think we thought that … if we just … didn't talk about it …"

"Mum, you know what? It's OK …" said Billie consolingly, "I understand."

They smiled at each other.

"Did you know Christie was a witch? I mean, that I was …?"

Her mother nodded.

"Just like your grandmother," she said softly, as Billie smiled, "I guess it skipped a generation, huh?"

"Yeah, lucky you!"

"No, lucky _you_!" said her mother, "You have a very special gift, Billie. One that you were meant to do great things with, I know that. Just … embrace it!"

"I'm gonna find her, Mum," insisted Billie, "I promise."

Her mother smiled gently, and then reached for her handbag.

"Well, maybe … this will help."

She pulled out a book, and handed it to Billie.

"It's Christie's diary," she explained, "We never could figure out what the last entry meant. Maybe you can."

She placed her hand upon her daughter's face.

"Be safe."

She then rose to her feet, and the two shared a hug. She then headed for the dorm door.

"Bye, Mum," said Billie.

"Bye," she replied softly, with a small wave.

As she left, Billie opened the diary, and flicked through the pages. She saw a strange symbol, consisting of an upside down pentagram, with shadowy vines sprouting from its two top points.

She closed the book, as she thought on what her mother had told her about her sister. She was determined to find her, not just for her sake … but for her parents too.

"Poor girl …" said Prue, "So much suffering, for someone so young …"

"Yeah …" said Paige softly, "When I think back on this year, I almost blame myself for this."

Prue turned to her, surprised.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetie. It was demons, and the Triad …"

"True, but if I hadn't helped Billie in the first place, she would never have found out that a demon had taken her sister," explained Paige, "and then this whole mess would never have happened …"

"You don't know that for certain," said Prue, "The Angel of Destiny told her she was destined to find her sister. She could have still found the demon even if she had never found you …"

"Yeah, I guess …"

"Besides … if she hadn't found you, she wouldn't have had such a loving family to support her …"

Paige turned to her, and smiled as they vanished.

* * *

Billie glanced around the large police office, as she sat on the cushioned seat. She could feel her hands shaking in her lap, and her nervous, shallow breathing.

"I'm not ready for this …" she mumbled, "I can't do this …"

She turned to face the doorway.

"Maybe I should just leave … go back to Magic School … Henry would understand …"

She rose to her feet, and was just about to make her way over when …

"Billie!"

"Oh no …"

She turned around to face Henry, who had just left his office.

"OK, Lauren's parents will be here any minute," he said.

"OK … great …" said Billie, with a sigh.

"Listen, Billie, if you don't feel up to this, I could do it for you …"

"Henry …" said Billie softly, "I have been dreading this moment ever since we got here. I mean, Lauren has only just died, I don't even _know_ her parents and I'm pretty sure _they _have no concept of witches, demons or anything supernatural. There are so many ways in which I could screw this up."

"But …?"

"But …" continued Billie, "Lauren is … _was_ my best friend. Apart from the sisters, she was the one person I felt really close to since Christie … I have to do this. I owe it to her … and myself."

Henry smiled, and gave a small nod of understanding. Billie grimaced back, and then, as her eyes fell again upon the doorway, she gasped.

"Oh no …"

"What?" asked Henry, as he turned to the doorway. He then saw the couple standing there, looking around the large office.

The man was quite tall, with greying hair and brown eyes.. The woman was rather short, with dyed blonde hair and blue eyes.

"It's them," said Billie softly, "Mr and Mrs Stevens … Lauren's parents …"

* * *

"Ugh … this place is filthy …"

Paige and Prue had just arrived in a dark and dirty cave. There was very little light, except for the slight rays that shone through the small window of bars in the door.

"Is this … a dungeon?" pondered Paige.

Just then, she heard scuffling in the background. She jumped in fright, and began to scan the cave nervously.

"Paige …" said Prue, "You are aware that this is just a memory? Whatever's in this cave can't hurt you."

"Hey, demons have invaded our memories before," said Paige.

"Yeah, well, unless there's demons in limbo, I'm sure we're fine."

"Well, there _is_ Cole …" said Paige.

" … who isn't technically a demon any more …" added Prue.

"Yeah, yeah, details …" said Paige, with a small laugh.

Suddenly, the sisters turned to the door as they heard a clicking sound. Moments later, the door was opened and a figure entered the cave. As more light entered the cave, Paige recognised the figure.

"Billie …?"

They watched Billie slowly walk further into the cave.

"Christie?"

"Oh my gosh …" said Paige softly, "This is where she found Christie!"

"Christie, are you there?" yelled Billie, "Don't be scared, I'm here to rescue you."

Prue and Paige followed Billie as she walked a little further. They then stopped, as they saw the shadow of a figure in the shadows.

"Hey, don't be scared …" said Billie kindly, "You remember me? You saw me about eight or ten years ago in this very cave?"

The figure slowly began to approach them. Her face then began to break through the shadows.

"B-Billie?" said Christie nervously.

"Yeah, that's right …"

"But … how? How is this …?"

"Possible?" finished Billie, "It's like I told you before - my powers brought me here, just like they did years ago."

Christie looked at her, scared.

"And now, I want to use those powers to get out of this hell once and for all."

She held out her hand towards Christie, who stepped back.

"I-I can't …"

"Yes you can," said Billie, "Don't you want to leave? To be free from those demons that took you?"

Christie looked at Billie, still terrified.

"You can trust me, Christie … I'm your sister, your baby sister …"

For a few moments, Christie still stared at Billie and her outstretched hand. However, she then slowly reached out towards Billie, eventually grabbing her hand.

"C'mon, sis," said Billie, smiling, as tears formed in her eyes, "let's go home."

She closed her eyes, focusing her powers. Moments later, they had vanished in a flash of bright white light.

"Poor girl …" said Prue softly.

"I know," said Paige, "After everything she went through to save her sister …"

"Oh … I was talking about Christie …"

"Huh? Oh, I guess …" said Paige dismissively.

"Paige …" said Prue, "despite everything she was responsible for, you have to remember that that was due to 15 years of demon corruption. Before then … she was just an innocent, scared little girl, with no control over her destiny."

"I know …" said Paige solemnly, "but sometimes it's hard to think of her as anything other than the girl we took under her wing, who, in return, turned Billie and the entire magical community against us."

"Yeah, I can understand that, and if I was in your place, I would have probably done something I'd ultimately regret to her. The thing is, though, in a way … she was the biggest victim in all of this …"

With heavy hearts, they then held hands and vanished.

* * *

"Mr and Mrs Stevens?"

Lauren's parents looked up as they heard Henry calling them. They approached him.

"Are you Henry Mitchell?" asked Mr Stevens.

"Yes, I am."

"My name is Albert, and this is my wife Sarah," said Mr Stevens.

"We were told you had something to tell us about our daughter, Lauren?" said Sarah Stevens.

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Henry, "If you'd like to walk through to the office and take a seat, we'll be right with you."

"Has something happened to my daughter?" said Sarah, hr voice shaking.

"Oh …" gasped Billie tearfully, looking away from them.

"Please … just step into my office …" said Henry.

"C'mon dear …" said Albert calmly, "Let's go."

"Something's happened to her, Albert," said Sarah, close to tears, "I know it!"

Billie watched them walk through, as she took deep calming breaths.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Henry asked her.

"No, I _don't _want to, Henry … I _need _to_."_

With one final smile from Henry, she began to walk towards his office.

"Good luck," he said softly.

Billie reached the door, and placed her hand upon the handle.

"OK … here we go …"

She opened the door.


	20. Broken Hearts

YAY! New chapter!

I'm actually quite surprised at how quickly I got this chapter done. I quite liked doing this one too, as I feel it's quite emotional.

Hope you enjoy! :)

P.S. I PASSED MY UNIVERSITY COURSEWORK! YAY! :P

* * *

**Broken Hearts**

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Stevens."

Albert and Sarah Stevens rose to their feet as Billie entered the room.

"Who are you?" asked Albert.

"My name is Billie, Billie Jenkins. I'm a friend of Lauren's."

"Oh yes, Lauren's told us about you," said Sarah.

"She … she did …?" said Billie softly.

"Uh, excuse me?" interrupted Albert, "Could you please tell us why we were called here? What's happened to our daughter?"

"Right …"

Billie walked across the room slowly, wringing her hands nervously.

"No …"

Sarah shook her head in disbelief.

"No, please … don't say it …"

Billie sighed deeply, before slowly turning to face them. As she opened her eyes, she could feel the tears falling.

"Mr and Mrs Stevens … I-I'm sorry to have to tell you this …"

"No … please …"

" … but your daughter, Lauren …"

"No …!"

"… is dead …"

"NO! NO, NO, NO!"

Sarah buried her head in her husband's chest, crying loudly and uncontrollably. Albert wrapped his arms around her, sighing solemnly as tears fell silently down his aged face.

Billie could not bear to watch, and turned away, silently crying into her hand.

"No … not my little girl … it can't be true …"

Albert looked up towards Billie.

"How did it happen?"

Billie quickly wiped her eyes and turned back to him.

"I … I'm sorry?"

"How … did she die?" asked Albert, "Was it an accident, or … did someone …?"

"No!" said Sarah loudly, looking up at him, "Who would hurt my baby? She would never do anything to hurt anyone!"

"Umm …"

"Right?" said Sarah, turning quickly to Billie, "That's right, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs Stevens, but I'm afraid your daughter _was_ murdered," said Billie.

"Wha … WHAT?"

"Sarah …"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Albert! DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

Sarah turned back to Billie, who was taken aback by the fury in her eyes.

"Do you know who did it?" she yelled, "Or why?"

"No!" said Billie, "Not at all!"

"Don't lie to me, Billie!" demanded Sarah, "If you know what happened, tell me!"

"Mrs Stevens …"

"Please …! Please … I _need_ to know …"

Billie sighed deeply, as she thought about what to do next. If she told Lauren's parents the truth, she would be exposing magic, which was, of course, extremely dangerous. On the other hand, she knew that she could not convincingly lie to them, as she felt it would be disrespectful to Lauren. Also, she knew what it was like to lose someone, and, if she was in Sarah Stevens' situation, she knew that _she _would want to know the truth.

"OK …" she said eventually, "I _do_ know who killed her, and why …"

"THEN TELL US!" yelled Sarah.

" … but I need you to promise me that you will listen to me completely without interruption, and that you won't freak out."

"What are you talking about …?"

Sarah then gasped in shock.

"You … YOU! You killed my daughter, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?"

She was about to run straight for Billie, furious, when Albert began to restrain her.

"LET ME GO, ALBERT!"

"Sarah, PLEASE!" yelled Albert, "Let's at least hear what she has to say! We don't know that she's the one responsible!"

"Then why would she be worried about us _freaking out_?"

"Well, let's listen to her story and we'll know!"

Sarah took deep steadying breaths to calm herself, and then sighed deeply.

"Alright … Alright! I'll listen to her …"

She looked up, and stared into Billie's eyes.

"… for now!"

Albert slowly led Sarah backwards towards a couple of chairs and they sat down. During this time, Sarah did not take her eyes off Billie.

Billie then walked behind Henry's desk, and sat in his chair. She clasped her hands together, and appeared to be gathering emotional strength for a few moments.

"OK … here goes …"

She took a deep breath, and then began her story.

"You see … Lauren is … was … well, I guess still _is_, special."

"I don't need _you_ to tell me that …"

"Sarah, please!" muttered Albert, as Billie continued.

"What I mean is … she was a _part_ of something special. You see, there are these special … people called whitelighters, who are kind of like … guardian angels. They help other people by offering guidance and support …"

"Whitelighters?" interjected Albert, "Is this some kind of … volunteering scheme?"

"Well … yes and no," said Billie, "It's kind of like …an unpaid job, one which she was more than willing to do. However … there were people who didn't want her to …"

"_People_?" said Sarah loudly, "What _people_?"

"Two men, named Drakor and Arrow," replied Billie, "They didn't like the work whitelighters do, and were willing to do anything to stop them from carrying it out."

"Well, that's a _very _nice story …" said Sarah mockingly, "but I'm afraid I just don't buy it!"

"Please, Mrs Stevens …"

"NO! I gave you a chance to tell me the truth, and you feed me this cockamamie story!"

"It's not …"

"You wanna know what I think? I think that you _did_ kill my daughter, and you don't have the COMMON DECENCY to tell the truth!"

"Sarah, please …" said Albert.

"Shut up, Albert!"

"Mrs Stevens, please …" pleaded Billie.

"And as for _you … _well, you're not only a murderer, but you're pathetic as well!"

"Don't …!"

"You're nothing but a spineless, two-faced …"

"Stop it …"

"… heartless, evil bitch!"

"Stop it!"

"Your parents must be so disappointed in you … I know I would be …!"

"JUST STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

At that moment, every drawer of every filing cabinet in the entire station flew out of their sockets and landed on the floor. At the same time, all the windows shattered, and everyone shielded themselves from the shards.

In Henry's office, Sarah and Albert looked around the office, completely shocked by what had just happened. They then looked at Billie, who was standing still, taking large breaths.

"Oh my gosh …" said Sarah softly.

She and Albert raced for the door. They walked through, and as the door slammed shut, Billie collapsed to the floor, and began to cry uncontrollably.

* * *

"You know? I do quite like this apartment."

Prue and Paige had just appeared in Phoebe's loft apartment.

"Yeah, me too," said Paige.

Just then, they heard the door swing open and turned to see Phoebe walk through. She placed her handbag down and walked towards her home phone. She picked up the receiver, and was in the middle of dialling when a familiar face walked behind her.

"Ah, took you long enough."

She turned around to face him, and immediately raised her hand quickly, hitting him in the nose. He fell back, dazed, into a table, which broke as he fell upon it.

"Ouch!" said Paige.

"Yeah, pretty kick-ass, huh?" said Prue, smiling.

Coop groaned as he tried to pick himself up.

"Well … love is never having to say you're sorry …"

He then raised his hand, and the ring on his finger flashed as Phoebe tried to kick him. She suddenly froze.

"Huh, that's nice …" said Coop, staring at Phoebe's leg, "Hmm, very nice …"

Paige and Prue rolled their eyes as Coop rose to his feet.

"OK …" he said, brushing himself off, "you lie awake at night, afraid you may never find love again. The best years of your life lost, battling for the greater good, but at the cost of starting your own family. Hmm, that oughta do it …"

Hus ring flashed again, as he magically moved a chair into position. His ring then flashed once more, and Phoebe unfroze, squealing as she stumbled and fell into the chair.

"You don't need to fight me, Phoebe," he said, "I'm on your side."

"Like hell you are!" yelled Phoebe, rising to her feet.

"Just sit down, OK?" he said, and as they both slowly sat down, "Listen. Now, you're just thinking … how you lay awake at night, right? How … you're afraid that you may never find love again? Well, that's not fair, really - I already know I'm right."

Phoebe looked at him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Cupid," he said, as Phoebe turned away, incredulous, "I'm one of them, anyway. You can call me Coop."

"That's just … great, _Coop_," scoffed Phoebe, as she rose to her feet, and headed for the door, "but you know what? I don't have the time for this, because I need to go find my sisters …"

"You always say that, and that is exactly why I'm here," said Coop, rising to his feet to follow her, "You always think that you never have the time for love. You know, that's why the Elders sent me. They feel guilty, you know, about how everything got all messed up after they enlisted you? So they sent me down to help you get things back on track."

"Oh, OK, well, you know what? I don't need help finding true love!"

"Apparently you do."

"Excuse me?" said Phoebe.

"Well, you didn't even notice me at the café," said Coop.

"Oh, well, you know what? I didn't notice you at the café, because you're … pfft, you are just _not_ cute!"

"No, _I'm _cute, _you're_ resistant," said Coop, with a small laugh.

Phoebe sighed, as she turned around to head again for the door.

"Now, come on. How are you going to have that future child that you were promised if you don't find love first, right?"

As she heard this, Phoebe stopped and turned back, to see Coop's serious face.

"That's still possible …?" she said.

"Not only is it possible, it's _destined_."

Phoebe looked into his eyes.

"We _are_ going to have to hurry," he added.

"But my starchart's …"

"All wonky," said Coop, with a small laugh, "I'm sorry, your math stinks! Anyway, I'll show you about that later. First, we're going to heal your heart."

"N-no … first I have to go and kill some demons, because if I don't, none of this is going to matter, OK?"

"You're resisting …" laughed Coop, as Phoebe opened the door.

"You know what?" she said, turning back to him, "You can take that bow and arrow, and shove it up your uh … And don't even try to freeze me … because I _will_ vanquish you."

She then left the apartment slamming the door behind her.

"Ooh …" said Coop, grinning, "This is gonna be tougher than I thought …"

A bright pink light then emanated from his heart, and covered his entire body as he vanished.

"The course of true love never did run smooth …" said Prue.

"For any of us," added Paige, as they vanished.

* * *

"Mr and Mrs Stevens! Wait!"

Henry ran after the Stevens as they walked through the corridor. As they turned to face him, Henry could see that Albert was supporting Sarah as they walked.

"Look, I'm not entirely sure what happened in there …"

"Oh, I'll _tell_ you what happened in there!" said Albert, "That … _thing_ in there tells us some story about whitelighters, and then it tries to blow us all up!"

"OK, first of all, she's not a _thing_," stated Henry, "Her name is Billie, and she is a scared little girl."

"Scared of what?" said Sarah, "Being found out as a murderer?"

"Billie did not kill your daughter, Mrs Stevens …"

"Why are you so protective of her?" demanded Albert.

"Well … she's family."

"Oh, you're _family_," said Sarah, "Well, then, I'm afraid your opinion doesn't really count here, as you'd defend her even if she were guilty, which she so clearly is!"

"OK, that's enough!" said Henry, "Now, I am sorry about your daughter, I really am … and trust me, if anyone knows what you're going through, it's Billie."

"How could she _possibly_ know what we're going through right now?"

"Well, for starters, when she was a child, she saw a man break into her home and kidnap her older sister, Christie. She was missing for 15 years."

"But she was found again, wasn't she?" said Sarah unsympathetically.

"Yes, but a week later, during a visit, the girls found their parents lying dead in their hotel room. They had been murdered, and by the same kind of people that killed your daughter."

"The … same _kind_?" said Albert, "You mean … Darklighters?"

"Well, they didn't go by that name, but they were just as evil and heartless as them. Some would even call them … demonic."

"My gosh …"

"And then," continued Henry, "not long afterwards, Christie herself was killed."

"By the same people?" said Albert.

"Yeah … they again were to blame."

Sarah sighed solemnly.

"I called that girl such vicious names … oh, the poor dear …"

"You see, the thing is … all of this happened about a year ago, and while she's never truly gotten over it, all that pain has been brought to the surface again because of what has happened to Lauren and to her old friend … my wife, Paige."

"She isn't dead too, is she …?" said Sarah, with a small gasp.

"No, she isn't," explained Henry, "She's in a coma. Doctors said she was stuck between life and death."

"I am so sorry …"

"It's OK," said Henry softly, "Her vitals are looking good, but the whole thing has taken its emotional toll on us, but especially Billie."

Sarah and Albert looked at each other. They felt sympathy, sorrow and a little ashamed.

"Anger is considered the second stage of grieving," said Henry, "It's understandable that you would lash out, and Billie was the only one there. I assure you, though, she did not kill Lauren. After everything she's been through, everyone's she lost … she couldn't possibly take the life of another."

Tears began to run down Sarah's face.

"But … what about the windows? And the drawers?" asked Albert.

"I don't know what to tell you," said Henry, "Perhaps it was a small tremor or something."

"That makes sense, I guess …"

"Excuse me …" said Sarah, "but do you think … I could go talk to Billie?"

"Of course you can," replied Henry, with a small smile.

Sarah then made her way back into the main police station. Everyone was busy clearing up the shards of broken glass, picking up discarded files and placing the drawers back into the filing cabinets.

As she scanned the office, she eventually found Billie, sitting in a chair at the back of the room. She had a large blanket wrapped around her, and her head was hanging low.

She made her way through the room, stopping just before Billie. She sighed sadly as she looked at her, and saw how defeated she looked. The only thing stronger than the guilt she felt was the sorrow of losing her own little girl.

"Umm … Billie?"

The defeated look upon Billie's face as she looked up at her broke what was now left of Sarah's heart.

"About the awful things I said … I am so sorry. Lauren told me how friendly you two had become, how she saw you … like a sister. I should have known you could never have done this."

"I felt the same way about her …" said Billie, in barely more than a whisper.

"I hate myself for what I said for you …"

"No, no …" said Billie, "It's OK …"

"No, it's not," said Sarah, "Henry told me about your family … I don't know how you've managed to survive. I wish I had some of your strength right now …"

"Well … my friends were a big help," said Billie softly, "The Halliwell sisters have been like a second family to me, and without them … I don't know where I'd be right now …"

Sarah placed her hand upon Billie's shoulder.

"I am so sorry."

Billie gave a small smile.

"I know, and I understand what you're going through, which is why I forgive you."

"Thank you, sweetheart …"

As Sarah smiled, Billie began to rise out of her chair. The two of them then embraced each other, tears burning their eyes.

"Oh …" said Sarah, as they separated, "and Albert and I will keep your friend Paige in our prayers."

"Thank you," said Billie.

With one final smile, Sarah turned and walked over to Albert, who was waiting in the doorway. Billie watched them embrace each other, give their thanks to Henry and wave to her before they left.

Henry then walked over to her.

"Hey … how are you holding up?"

"I'm … not sure, really," replied Billie, "but I feel I did the right thing by coming here. Thanks for letting me, Henry."

She wrapped her arms around Henry to hug him. Though taken aback at first, he soon returned it.

"No problem …"

Billie smiled as the two parted.

"Uh, listen …" said Henry, "they asked about … Lauren's body."

Billie sighed.

"OK … we'll, uh, go back to Magic School, and Sam can help us bring the body here," she said.

"OK …" said Henry, "Let's go outside and call him."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Henry and Billie then walked towards the door.

"You know … Paige is really lucky to have a guy like you …" said Billie.

"No, Billie … _I'm _the lucky one …"


	21. Things Change Part 1

New chapter!

This is a two-parter, the seoncd half of which is coming soon. :)

Please keep reading - I promise that we're almost at the end! :P

* * *

**Things Change - Part 1**

Prue and Paige appeared in the conservatory of the Halliwell Manor. It was deserted, which confused Paige.

"Uh, Prue, did you get your memories mixed up or something?" she asked.

"No, no," said Prue, "I'm positive this is right."

Moments later, someone walked through the hall towards the conservatory. She had red tangled hair, was wearing a ripped short dress and had bruises and cuts all over her body.

"Oh …" said Paige, as Christie walked by them into the middle of the room. She raised both of her hands to her head and began to rub.

Suddenly, three men in black robes shifted through the floor to surround her. Each of them had a triquerta symbol upon their robes.

Christie looked around at them nervously, but then her expression changed to a more serious one as she spoke.

"Somebody's impersonating you."

"What do you mean 'impersonating us'?" asked a black haired Triad, named Asmodeus, "How do you know?"

"Will you keep your voice down?" said Christie, "I don't want them to find us together."

"I always said this plan was taking too long," whispered a second, grey haired Triad, named Candor, "We should just attack the Charmed Ones while we're here."

"No!" said Asmodeus, "We don't have the power yet."

"And we're not strong enough without it," said the third Triad, named Bailel.

"We don't know that …" said Candor, "Besides, someone's already exposed us!"

"Yes …" said Asmodeus, "The real question is … _who_?"

"Who else?" said Bailel, "It _has_ to be Xar!"

"Xar? Who's Xar?" said Christie.

"A demon," explained Asmodeus, "who was once one of us."

"But one whom we banished," added Candor.

"And one who's been looking to avenge that for decades," finished Bailel, "He's the only one who knows our ways and our desires."

"So, what? He's been sabotaging us?" exclaimed Candor.

"Undoubtedly, so he won't have to answer to us," said Asmodeus, "Xar would do anything to keep that from happening."

"Well, he may have already succeeded," said Christie, "The Charmed Ones are after you now … which means I may never get my sister back."

"Yes, you will, just as we promised. You're still the Key, and you're still in perfect position."

"You're her sister, Christie," said Bailel, "Soon, you will show her the way."

"_If_ we can stop Xar from doing any more damage …" said Candor.

The Triad members shared a knowing nod before they disappeared through the floor. Christie then took a deep breath before leaving the room.

"So, I'm assuming that they killed Xar?" asked Paige.

"Yep," replied Prue, "and then, just like you guys, they prepared for the huge battle ahead."

* * *

The three Triad stood in a circle in the Grand Hall, around a large mass of magical dark energy which appeared to be of their own creation.

"What are they doing?" whispered Paige.

"Paige … they can't hear you."

"Oh yeah … sorry, force of habit."

"I never was sure, but I think they're charging up their power or something," said Prue.

Just then, the sisters noticed a blue light appear behind a couch a few feet away from the Triad. As it faded, they saw the Charmed Ones raise their heads above the couch to look at the Triad.

"OK," whispered Phoebe, "how are we supposed to divide and conquer _that_?"

"Maybe we should try to blast them while they're distracted," suggested the younger Paige.

"I don't think that'll even phase them," said Piper.

"I'll distract them," said Phoebe, as she rose to her feet. However, as she did, Candor turned and saw her.

"Too late!" exclaimed Piper.

Candor threw a fireball, which Piper blew up with her hands. The shockwaves emanating from the blast knocked her and Paige against the bookcase behind them, and Phoebe to the floor of the Hall.

"Phoebe?" called Piper.

"Yeah! Go!" yelled Phoebe, as she ran down the corridor. Candor threw another fireball towards her, and she leapt to the right as it flew past her, colliding with the wall.

"I've got her!" he said, running after her.

"No, we're stronger together!" called Asmodeus.

"HEY!"

Asmodeus turned to Paige, and threw a fireball towards her. Paige orbed away, and it shattered a pot on the bookcase.

"Yoo hoo!"

As the Triad members saw Piper rise into view, Bailel conjured a fireball. Just as he was about to throw it, Piper used her freezing power on them. It caused Bailel to move in slow motion.

"Paige, now!"

Paige orbed in behind the Triad.

"Triad Guy!" she yelled, as she orbed Asmodeus into the path of Bailel's fireball. Piper unfroze them, and Asmodeus barely had time to turn around before the fireball hit him. He was instantly vanquished.

"NO!" roared Bailel, as Piper began to use her blasting power on him once, then twice.

"NO!" he roared as Piper blasted once more, vanquishing him.

Meanwhile, Candor had re-appeared in the corridor, and witnessed Bailel's vanquishing. He watched in sorrow.

"Looking for me?"

He turned around to see Phoebe walk in behind him. He smirked, but his face fell as he turned to see Piper and Paige close in as well. Saving himself, he shimmered away through the ground.

"Are you OK?" Paige asked Phoebe, as she walked towards them.

"Yeah …" said Phoebe softly, "I can't believe we did it!"

"Well, two out of three …" said Piper.

"Well, that's all we needed, right?" said Paige, "That means we won!"

"Well, if we won, where's Leo?" asked Piper, "I mean, he should be here … I don't understand what went wrong."

"Maybe nothing …" said Phoebe, "Maybe there's a bigger threat out there …"

After a collective sigh, the sisters orbed away.

"Yeah … and it was right under our noses the whole time …" said Paige.

"You weren't to know," said Prue, "at least … not until it was almost too late …"

* * *

Back at Magic School, Phoebe had returned to her old habit of pacing back and forth across the Grand Hall.

"You know, Phoebe," said Piper, who was sat beside Leo, "you're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing back and forth like that."

Phoebe stopped, and smiled as she looked up at Piper.

"I'm sorry, Piper, I'm just … worried about Billie, that's all," she said, "I mean, what exactly is she going to tell her parents?"

"What do you mean?" asked Coop, sat behind her.

"Well, I mean, Lauren's parents are going to want to know _how _she died, aren't they? Would Billie tell them about her being a destined whitelighter, and that she was killed by their answer to bounty hunters? I don't really see them taking that well, do you?"

"Listen, Phoebe, Billie's a smart girl," said Leo, "I'm sure she'll have thought of something."

"I hope so …" said Phoebe, "because, with everything else that's happened today, we really don't need the pressure of magic being exposed as well."

Just then, a mass of glowing blue orbs appeared in the middle of the Hall. As they cleared, the others could see Sam, Henry and Billie let go of each other's hands.

"Billie …" said Piper and Phoebe together, as they both approached her. Billie merely grimaced in reply.

"Are you OK?" asked Piper softly, "How did it go?"

"Well …" said Billie quietly and slowly, "it was going great … until I … kinda … lost my temper and broke every window in the office …"

"With what?" asked Phoebe, "Furniture?"

Piper looked at her, her eyebrow raised, and Phoebe shrugged.

"No … my powers."

"You used your powers in front of Lauren's parents?"

"Not on purpose … I was trying to tell them the truth without exposing magic … and Lauren's mother began to accuse me of killing her …"

"Oh no …" said Piper, "Oh, Billie …"

"Don't worry," said Henry, "I talked to them, and squared everything up. Told them about everything Billie had been through, and wrote off the smashed windows as a tremor."

"Thanks, Henry," said Piper, with a smile.

"Her mother apologised, and comforted me," continued Billie, "Makes me wish that _my_ mother was there, to help me through this …"

Phoebe sighed, and wrapped her arms around her.

"We know how you feel, Billie …" said Piper, "I know I missed _my_ mother when she died, but not as much as Prue did. You see, she actually saw our mother's body be taken away."

Henry suddenly gasped, as he remembered.

"Guys …" he said awkwardly, as everyone turned to him, "Sorry to interrupt, but I've just remembered - we need to, umm, take Lauren's body to the station, for her parents."

"Oh yeah …" said Billie weakly, "We should …"

"No, you stay, Billie. I can go … with Sam."

Sam looked up at him.

"I'm sorry?" he said.

"You can come with me to the station with Lauren's body … right?"

Henry stared at him wide-eyed, and Sam then turned to the girls.

"Oh … right!" said Sam, as he realised, "Yes, of course I could go with you!"

"Thanks, guys …" said Billie, with a weak smile.

Sam and Henry smiled at Billie as they walked past, out of the Grand Hall. Billie then collapsed onto the nearest seat, and Piper and Phoebe sat on either side of her.

"You guys have been great," said Billie, "I don't know what I would do without you …

"Billie, as far as we're concerned, we're your family," said Phoebe, "and we're not going anywhere."

"And if Paige were here," said Piper, "I'm sure she'd say the same."

Piper, Phoebe, Leo, Coop and Billie then turned to look at Paige's body.

"She'll be back …" said Coop.

"I hope so," said Billie.

"Don't worry, Billie, she will," said Phoebe.

"No question," said Leo.

Piper sighed.

"After all, Prue is with her," she said, "and if there was anyone who understood the importance of family, it was her. She'll bring Paige back, and who knows … maybe _she'll _come back too …"

* * *

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and Paige narrowed her eyes.

"Well, this makes a welcome change," she said, "Being outside in a nice park in the sunlight, instead of being in caves and the Manor. So … what are we for?"

"Over there …"

Prue pointed over to two people walking down a path. Paige recognised them instantly as Billie and Christie as she and Prue walked over to them.

"Hey, there they are!" said Billie. Prue and Paige followed their line of vision, and saw Mr and Mrs Jenkins sitting on a bench.

"Wait!" said Christie, as she stopped Billie with her hand, "What if I'm not what they expect? What if I'm not what they want? Tell them I got sick."

"No!"

Mrs Jenkins looked up as she heard Billie's call.

"Billie …"

"Look, you were raised by demons for fifteen years," said Billie, cutting across Christie, "You can handle fifteen minutes with Mum and Dad."

Mrs Jenkins smiled as she saw them approach, as she and Mr Jenkins rose to their feet.

"C'mon," said Billie, leading Christie forward. She then stopped, and motioned to Christie to keep going.

Mrs Jenkins smiled as Christie slowly approached her, and then leant forwards to let her mother hug her.

"Oh … baby …" she gasped, through happy tears, "I'm so glad to see you …!"

"Yeah, you too," said Christie unenthusiastically, as she turned to her father. She smiled, and leant forward to let him hug her.

"Oh, thank goodness …" he said, smiling as he held her tightly.

"OK, come sit," said Mrs Jenkins, "I just want to look at you for a minute."

She and Christie sat down on the bench, as her mother looked at her.

"You're so beautiful … Really, you'd never know anything ever happened."

"So, how are you feeling?" asked her father, as he too sat down, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm OK …" said Christie nervously.

"Yeah?" said her dad, smiling.

Christie then looked up at her sister.

"Billie's taking good care of me."

"Well, yes, _and_ the sisters," said Billie.

"Well, I'm not surprised," said Mrs Jenkins, hugging an uncomfortable Christie, "You two were always so close."

Just then, a mobile ring-tone went off.

"Oh, it's Piper," said Billie, checking her phone, "Sorry, I gotta check this."

She then looked up at Christie, who was staring at her.

"_Don't leave me here!"_

"Relax, you're doing fine," replied Billie.

"Wait a minute …" said Paige, "Was that Christie?"

"Yep, she was a telepath, remember?" said Prue, as Billie answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"But … how can _we _hear her?" asked Paige.

"Look, Piper, I can't really talk right now," said Billie, in the background, "I'm kinda in the middle of something important."

"This trip is based on _memories_, Paige, and not just on those of one person …" explained Prue.

"Ah … so this is Billie's memory?" said Paige.

"Well, not _just_ hers …"

"OK, I'm coming over," said Billie, "Bye."

She turned to her family as she hung up.

"You guys, I'm sorry, I really have to go. Piper needs me."

"Is everything alright?" asked her father.

"Yeah, you know, just one of many crises … Alright, I will meet you guys back at the hotel, OK?"

She blew them a kiss as she turned to walk away.

"_I hate you!"_

Billie turned around, and pulled a face at Christie before she left. Paige giggled.

"So …" said Mrs Jenkins, as she turned to Christie

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Christie, looking down at the ground.

"Of course you can, honey," said her mother, "You can ask us anything."

Christie looked up at her dad, tears in her eyes.

"How hard did you look for me …?" she said sadly.

"Oh …"

"Oh, baby …"

"We tried everything we could think of, honey …" said her father, as Christie looked to her mother, "We tracked down every lead we could find … but even with all that, you were just … you were someplace we couldn't go …"

"That's why this is such a miracle!" exclaimed her mother, hugging Christie again. Christie smiled briefly.

"Yeah, it is …" she said, feeling slightly less uncomfortable.

"_What are you doing?"_

"Leave me alone!" said Christie angrily, as Paige looked around for the source of the disembodied voice.

"Christie, are you alright?" asked her father, as he and her mother looked at Christie, confused.

"_Do not go down this path!"_

"Show yourself!"

Immediately after Christie spoke, everything froze. People, fountains, even birds in the sky stopped in their tracks, and everything also seemed to look slightly darker.

"What the …?" said a confused Paige.

Just then, the only surviving member of the Triad, Candor, rose up from the ground.

"How dare you interrupt me!" said Christie, approaching him.

"You gave me no choice," said Candor, "Every step you take towards your mortal family is a step _away_ from our ultimate goal."

"I had to come see them, otherwise Billie would have gotten suspicious."

"Perhaps, but they're swaying you and you know it," said Candor, "Do not make me take matters into my own hands!"

"Don't you threaten me!"

Suddenly, flames began to surround Candor, igniting his robes. However, he was not in pain, and appeared to look bored or impatient.

"You don't have the power to destroy me," he said, as the flames vanished, "and you won't either, until you're free of the ties that bind!"

He then disappeared through the ground, as everything began to move again, brighter.

"Christie!" yelled her father.

"Baby!" yelled her mother, as Christie turned to face them, "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing much," said Paige, "Your daughter was just having a conversation with one of the most powerful forces of evil, that's all!"

"She _was _manipulated, remember?" said Prue.

"Yeah, I know," said Paige, "and it is sad what happened to her. It's just … going through these memories, I remember what she did, how she turned our lives upside down. It's kinda hard to feel sorry for someone after that."

"I _can_ see your point …"

"Just out of interest …" said Paige, "where was I when all this was happening?"

"Oh, on your honeymoon," said Prue.

"Oh yeah …" said Paige, smiling, "Hey, that reminds me - shouldn't we have looked at a couple of memories of me and Henry by now?"

"True," said Prue, "but I'm leaving the best till last."

"Aww …" said Paige, smiling, "So … what's next?"

"Well, you know what they say, Paige … sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better …"

"Oh … I think I know where this is going …"

Prue waved her hand to conjure the magical screen. In it, Paige saw the door to a hotel room being opened, and Christie walking through it.

* * *

"_Mum? Dad?"_

_She stopped, staring in horror at the floor, upon which her parents lay there, dead._

"_Oh no …"_

_Billie made her way past Christie into the room. She made her way over to the bodies._

"_Who would do this?" said Billie, kneeling beside her mother, "Who would do something like this?"_

"_Billie, come on," said Christie._

"_Oh no …"_

"_Billie, we have to get out of here!"_

_Billie sobbed into her hands, as Christie walked over to her. She helped her sister to her feet and led her out of the room._

"_We have to do something," said Billie, "We have to call the police!"_

"_No!" said Christie, "You have to go to your dorm and you have to wait for me."_

"_What?"_

"_Listen to me! The Manor is being targeted by demons, and I can't risk losing you too."_

"_But I …"_

"_No!" insisted Christie, "I know what I'm talking about, OK? Trust me. Now go!"_

"_But where are you going to go?" cried Billie._

"_I'm going to find out who did this!"_

_With that, Christie walked off, as Billie quietly cried._

* * *

Prue turned to Paige , expecting her to comment on what she had just saw. However, Paige merely shook her head.

Prue uderstood, and waved her hand to change the scene. This time, Paige saw Candor apparently meditating in the Grand Hall of Magic School, and Christie was approaching him from behind.

* * *

"_Piper didn't call me," she said, "It was you, wasn't it?"_

_Candor calmly lowered his arms, as he opened his eyes._

"_I did what was necessary," he said._

"_They were my __**parents**__!"_

_Candor turned to face her._

"_They were distracting you from asking the final step. Now, thanks to me, they no longer are."_

"_You BASTARD!"_

_A furious Christie then stepped forward and drove her arm right through his chest. Candor spluttered and coughed as he looked down at her arm, then up to her face._

"_Congratulations!" he spluttered, "You just passed … the final … test …!"_

_His body was then suddenly engulfed in flames, before it exploded. _

_Christie was then left standing alone in the Hall, her arm covered in blood … and now completely evil._


	22. Things Change Part 2

Hooray! Quick updates!

To be honest, I'm trying to get these next few chapters out as quickly as I can. You see, I'm afraid the next three chapters after this will be filled with memories concerning the Ultimate Battle, the events of Forever Charmed and Paige's romance with Henry.

After that, however, it will be all my own stuff for the ending, which I can't wait to write! :D

Anyway, thank you for sticking with me and my huge gaps in updates! :P

* * *

**Things Change - Part 2**

Prue and Paige appeared in a dark cavern of the Underworld.

"Sorry, Paige, back to dark and gloomy, I'm afraid."

Prue smiled as she turned to Paige, and was surprised to see that Paige had her eyes closed, and a disgusted look upon her face.

"Paige, c'mon, it's not _that_ bad …"

"Oh, it's not _this_," said Paige, "I just … I wasn't expecting to see something that … gross!"

Prue giggled.

"Paige, you've vanquished demons for years …"

"I know … but still, seeing Christie push her arm _right through_ the Triad's chest … urgh!"

Prue smiled, shaking her head. The sisters then heard groaning, and as they turned to find the source of the noise, Paige gasped in shock.

A demon was collapsed on the ground, leaning against a rock as a gigantic parasitic worm appeared to be sucking the blood from his body.

"Oh, I remember him …" said Paige.

Just then, she, Prue and the demon turned as blue orbs jingled into existence. They soon cleared to reveal Piper, a younger Paige and, to their shock, Christie.

"What are you doing?" yelled Paige.

"I'm not going to let you take this away from me," said Christie frantically.

"You shouldn't even be here," said Piper, "The demons are after you."

"I don't care!"

Christie tried to edge forward, but Paige stopped her.

"Look, stop it! We're not going to let him get away, you need to just back off! Gosh …!"

She and Piper then turned to face the demon, as Piper put her hand into her small handbag.

"OK, listen!" yelled Piper, "You have one chance, and one chance only, to tell me who sent you and why!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" muttered the demon.

"The hell you don't!"

Piper then threw a potion at the demon, who roared in agony as it him. The fire then engulfed his body scared the worm, which slithered away as the demon slowly began to recover from his injuries.

"Say the spell!" said Christie anxiously.

"No!" said Piper firmly.

"Say IT!"

"Stop it!" demanded Paige.

Christie quickly grabbed the piece of paper from Paige's hand, and pushed her into the cavern wall. Piper moved to her sister, as Christie began to recite the spell:

"_Demon of fire, demon of pain,  
__I banish you to the astral …"_

She was interrupted by a blast to her arm, which threw _her_ into a cavern wall. Piper watched her fall, her hand still stretched out from blasting her.

As Piper helped Paige to her feet, another grubby-looking demon shimmered in beside the first.

"Looks like you were telling the truth," he said, before grabbing the first demon and shimmering him away with him.

"Damn it!" yelled Piper, as Christie slowly rose to her feet, examining the large burn on her arm.

"Are you OK?" she asked Paige.

"Yeah, but, uh, it's not _me_ I'm worried about …"

Christie looked up at the sisters, and the anger was obvious in her face.

"Oh dear …" said Paige.

"I know," said Prue, "This was probably one of the most important turning points in this whole plot."

"Not that Christie required much turning," said Paige.

"True … and, in some respect, neither did Billie …"

As Piper, Paige and a reluctant Christie orbed away, Prue and the older Paige too left the cave.

* * *

They re-appeared in the hall of the Manor, just in time to see Billie walk through the door, and Piper, Phoebe and Henry to come through from the kitchen.

"Billie," said Piper.

"We need to talk," said Billie.

"I know, I'm sorry about your sister, but … how are you?"

"How am I? I'm not so good, how could you attack my sister?"

"She didn't leave me much of a choice, she was going to vanquish the demon," said Piper.

"So you just thought you'd vanquish _her_ too?" exclaimed Billie.

"No, I didn't …"

"Look, we know how you feel …" said Phoebe, "but revenge is not the only thing right now."

"That's what Christie said," said Billie, "Look, I want to find Leo too, I really, really do, but not at the expense of her!"

"Well, OK, then she needs to understand that it can't all be about what she wants," said Piper.

"Right, 'cause it just seems to be all about what _you_ want."

"That's not fair …"

"Isn't it?"

"OK, look, don't you want to figure out who killed your parents?" said Phoebe.

"Yes, I do, but that's not what you care about," said Billie, "All you care about is finding Leo … you don't care about me!"

She began to search through Piper's handbag, which was on the small table beside her.

"Billie … what are you doing?" asked Piper.

"I'm going to vanquish the Noxon," said Billie taking out a couple of potion vials.

"No, you're not."

"What, are you going to blow _me_ up too?"

"_Hold out your hand and call for the vial," _said a voice, apparently from within Henry.

"Nobody's blowing anyone up here!" said Phoebe.

"It didn't stop her last time …"

"_Now!"_

"Vial!" called Henry, holding out his hand. The potion vials disappeared from Billie's hand with a shimmering of blue orbs.

They re-appeared in Henry's hand, who smiled.

"_That_ was cool!"

Billie looked up towards Henry, and suddenly, the vials flew out of Henry's hand towards her. She grabbed them, and Henry lowered his hand embarrassedly as Billie stormed off.

"Billie!" yelled Piper, "You come back here!"

Billie slammed the door behind her as she left.

"Now, what do we do?" said Phoebe.

"We've got to find that demon before they do," sighed Piper, as she, Phoebe and Henry ran up the stairs.

"Hey, wait a minute …"said Paige, "I thought we weren't going to see any memories of Henry yet …"

"I know, but this was an important memory to see," said Prue.

Paige turned to look up the steps, and giggled.

"You know, I remember how awkward that was … being trapped in Henry's head, thanks to Coop …"

"Well, I like to think you helped you get even a little bit closer …" said Prue.

"Yeah … a little," smiled Paige. She then took Prue's hand, they transported back to the Underworld.

* * *

"No, you don't!"

Piper held out her hands, and froze the demon in mid-air as he tried to leap over a rock. She approached him, followed by Phoebe and Paige, now free from Henry's mind.

Piper unfroze the demon's head, who looked around confused.

"What happened?" he said, "What's going on?"

"You have exactly five seconds to live, unless you tell us who you're working for," said Piper.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Four."

"Three," said Phoebe.

"Two …!" said Paige.

"Alright, alright!" said the demon anxiously, as Paige prepared to threw her vial, "I'll talk!"

"Not so fast!"

Everyone turned to see Billie and Christie approach.

"Leave him alone! He's ours!" continued Billie.

"_Ours_?" said Phoebe, "Billie, we're all on the same side here!"

"Are we?"

"We're not going to let you vanquish him," said Piper.

"Works for me …" said the demon.

"And we're not going to let you take him alive either," said Christie.

"This is absurd!" said Paige to Christie, "What are you doing? Why are you twisting what we're all about?"

"She's not twisting anything, and _she's_ the one who tore me away fro protecting her parents so she wouldn't bother the two of you!"

"Billie …" said Piper, in response to Billie's accusation, "I swear, if I knew hat would happen …"

"… you would have used me the same way to get what you wanted, and I'm sick of being used!"

Billie then threw her potion vial, which Piper blasted. The explosion knocked the demon out of the air, and onto the cavern floor, unvanquished.

"No!" yelled Billie.

"_You don't need the potion."_

"What do you mean?" Billie asked Christie.

"_You can use your power to amplify mine!"_

"Uh, what's going on?" said Paige, before Billie and Christie held hands. As the demon rose up from the floor, the two sisters closed their eyes and concentrated their powers.

The demon grasped his head, as it began to burn up from the inside. As the power intensified, the demon screamed in agony, before the power vanquished him in a powerful explosion, which knocked the Charmed Ones to the ground.

Billie gasped as she and Christie opened their eyes, and saw what they had done. The sisters smiled, before Billie threw another vial onto the ground, and they vanished in a cloud of grey smoke.

Phoebe squealed as Piper helped her to her feet.

"OK …" said Paige, stunned, "uh, did they just vanquish the demon that can't be vanquished?"

"What does that mean?" exclaimed Phoebe.

"I think it means we just found the Ultimate Power …" said Piper calmly.

"And so it begins …" said Prue, conjuring the magical screen once again. Paige recognised Phoebe's apartment, and Billie and Phoebe standing in the middle of the room.

* * *

"_Look, Billie we're not the bad guys here!" said Phoebe._

"_Well, she thinks you are," said Billie._

"_OK, well, she's wrong!"_

"_She thinks you're using your powers only for yourselves, and not for the greater good, and sooner or later …"_

_Billie stopped mid-sentence, as Phoebe crossed her arms._

" '_Sooner or later …' what?"_

"… _you'll have to be stopped," said Billie._

"_Is that what you think, too?"_

"_I don't know, OK?" said Billie, "That's why I'm here!"_

_Just then, the front door opened, and Piper walked through. She stopped as she saw Billie._

"_I thought you said we were alone!"_

"_Hello, we __**were**__ alone!" said Phoebe, then, as she walked towards Piper, "What are you doing here?"_

"_Wondering what __**she's**__ doing here," said Piper, walking down the stairs._

"_We're just having a little chat," said Phoebe, as Billie stepped backwards, scared._

"_Good, great, I'm listening …"_

"_Stay away from my sister!"_

_Everyone turned to see Christie walk in form the balcony._

"_OK, how did __**you**__ get in?" exclaimed Phoebe, as Billie walked over to her sister._

"_The same way we're leaving," said Christie, showing a potion vial, before looking to Billie, "Let's go."_

"_OK, can't we all just talk about this please?"_

"_There's nothing to talk about," replied Christie._

"_Alright then!"_

"_No, Piper …"_

_Piper threw a potion vial towards Billie and Christie, but Christie used her powers to destroy it in mid-throw. The explosion sent Piper and Phoebe crashing to the floor, as Billie stared in shock._

"_No, Piper!" said Phoebe, as she stopped Piper from blasting them._

"_Do you need any more proof?" said Christie to Billie, before throwing the vial in her hand. As the sisters vanished in a puff of smoke, Piper turned to Phoebe._

"_Do __**you**__?"_

* * *

Paige merely sighed as Prue changed the scene. It was night-time in the Manor, and Piper, Phoebe and Paige were all sitting together in the living room.

* * *

"_Maybe Billie's right," said Paige, "Maybe we are selfish."_

"_No, wanting a life doesn't make us selfish," said Phoebe, "It makes us human."_

"_Yeah, well, we're not normal, we're the 'Charmed Ones'."_

"_No-body said we had to be that for the rest of our lives," said Piper, "It's not written in stone."_

"_Yeah, and if wanting children, and enlightenment, and … Leo back makes us selfish, then I'm guilty," said Phoebe._

"_I'd say we've done enough," said Piper, "and that __**doesn't**__ make us evil."_

"_Well, I think it does from Billie and Christie's warped point of view," said Paige, and her sisters sighed._

"_So, what are we gonna do?"_

_Piper and Phoebe looked at each other, before Phoebe answered the question._

"_We're gonna stop them … before they stop us."_

* * *

"Hey, wasn't that after Billie put us into that dream world?" said Paige.

"Yeah," said Prue, "to find out your hearts' desires. As I recall, Piper wanted kids and grandkids, Phoebe wanted the daughter she had been promised, and Coop too …"

"… and I wanted to finally achieve enlightenment … not that I feel I'm any closer to it, mind you."

"Well, your Charmed duties have more or less come to an end, so hopefully that's the first major step," said Prue.

"Yeah, I hope so …" said Paige. For a few moments, she and Prue satred at each other in silence, then Prue cleared her throat to break it.

"Well, time to move forwards," said Prue, "So, you had all realised that Billie and Christie were the enemy, but before the Ultimate Battle could take place … allegiances would change …"

She waved her hand, and Paige could see herself, meditating I the air on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. A leprechaun appeared beside her, travelling via a rainbow.

* * *

"_Paige!" he yelled, "You gotta help us!"_

"_I'm sorry, this is me time …" said Paige, her eyes closed as she meditated._

"_They killed Liam! They're trying to kill us all!"_

"_I'm trying to find a deeper meaning. Please go! BAY!"_

_She waved her arm, and orbed the leprechaun far off into the distance. As he landed in the cold waters below, Paige opened her eyes, apparently in shock at what she had just done._

_Her body glowed, and she suddenly fell onto the cold metal of the bridge._

"_Uh-oh …"_

* * *

The scene changed. This time, Paige could see a nymph appear in Phoebe's apartment, by phasing in through a large potted plant.

* * *

"_Help!" yelled the nymph, "Phoebe! Please …!"_

_She heard soft moaning, and ran towards the bedroom. There, she saw Phoebe and Coop entwined on the bed, kissing passionately._

"_We're being attacked!" yelled the nymph._

"_Not now!" yelled Phoebe impatiently, waving her away._

"_You alright?" murmured Coop, as he kissed her, "You want me to stop?"_

"_No …" moaned Phoebe, as the nymph sighed impatiently._

_As she turned around, she gasped as she saw a demon stand before her, conjuring a fireball. She sprinted towards the potted plant, and only just managed to phase away through it before the fireball destroyed it._

_Phoebe then ran through form the bedroom, apparently hearing the noise. She looked form the destroyed plant, to the demon, who shimmered away. An orb of magic then escaped her body, and as Coop approached her, she realised the magnitude of what had just happened._

"_Uh-oh …"_

* * *

Prue again changed the scene. This time, the screen showed Piper in the Manor hall, dressed up as a 50's housewife, shaking a cocktail shaker. A fairy appeared before her, squeaking anxiously.

* * *

"_May I help you?" she asked, as the fairy squeaked, "What's that? You and the whole magical community are under attack? Demons are slaughtering you left and right? Your only hope is us?"_

_The fairy squeaked in agreement._

"_Well, I'm sorry, but unfortunately, I can't help you. I have to be here for when Leo comes home."_

_As the fairy squeaked frantically, a demon shimmered in, in the dining room. The fairy spotted him, an tired to signal Piper for help, but she merely tried to wave him away._

_The demon conjured a fireball, and threw it directly at the fairy, killing it. Piper gasped as a mound of fairy dust landed on the carpet before her._

"_That's just awful!" Piper yelled at the demon, "I just vacuumed there!"_

_The demon shimmered away as Piper began to vacuum up the fairy dust on the carpet. As the dust settled in the vacuum, a ring on Piper's hand vanished. As it did, her body glowed, and the housewife's dress was replaced with her normal clothes. She placed her hand on her chest as she realised what had happened._

"_Uh-oh …"_

* * *

"So, Billie and Christie had placed spells on all of us ..."

"No, not them … Dumain," said Prue, "Remember, Christie's demon friend?"

"Oh yeah, him …" said Paige, "So, _he_ placed spells on all of us, so that we couldn't save the magical community from a very convenient demonic attack."

"All planned to make the magical community turn on you," said Prue.

"And unfortunately … it worked."

* * *

"PIPER! PAIGE!"

As Phoebe walked into the Manor, Piper and Paige walked into the Hall.

"Thank goodness you're alright," said Piper, "Why didn't you answer your cell?"

"I left it at the condo."

"Was a spell cast on you as well?" asked Paige.

"Yes," said Phoebe, "I don't know what happened - one minute, I was talking to Coop, and the next, I was … attacking him."

"Magically?" said Paige.

"No, _sexually_," said Phoebe, then, as Paige shuddered, "Who do you think did this to us?"

"Who else? Billie - she's the only who knows us well enough to use our past against us," said Piper.

"Ooh, I'm gonna kill her …"

"Where ya been?" said Piper, as Phoebe smirked.

"OK, the big question is, what do we do now?" asked Paige.

"They seem to be one step ahead of us," said Phoebe, sighing, "I mean, we tried to warn our friends …"

" …who probably think we've abandoned them," continued Piper.

"Yeah, well, we need to find them and change their minds," said Paige.

The only way to do that is to save them," said Phoebe.

The sisters then made their way up the stairs, Prue and Paige following them. They five made their way up to the attic, where they were greeted by the surviving members of the magical community. They did not look pleased to see the sisters.

"What's going on?" asked Phoebe.

"We were just coming to save you," said Paige.

"Well, we've already been saved," said the attacked leprechaun, "and _not_ by _you_!"

The magical creatures grumbled amongst themselves, as the Charmed Ones looked at them, in shame.

"For years, we thought you were eon our side, were counting on ya," continued the leprechaun, "and to leave us, high and dry …"

"Hey!" said Piper, "We were under a spell!"

The magical creatures grumbled in disbelief.

"We wanted to save you, but something wouldn't let us …" insisted Phoebe.

"You BETRAYED us!"

Phoebe turned to see a large ogre smack her across the face, the force of which knocked her to the ground. The creatures converged around her as Piper and Paige helped her up.

"It's always one thing or another with you, isn't it?" said the leprechaun, "Our good friends are being slaughtered, while you're off kissing your loved ones, or contemplating your navel! Billie and Christie were right about you!"

"Look, they're twisting everything!" said Paige, "It's not what you think!"

"They know exactly what to think!"

Christie forced her way through the crowd, with Billie behind her.

"They think it's over!"

"And so do we," said Billie.

As everyone stared, Christie began to conjure a gigantic fireball in mid-air, with nothing but her mind. As the sisters stared in shock, Phoebe turned to the pedestal upon which the Book of Shadows sat.

"The Book!"

As the sisters ran towards the book, Billie pushed the fireball towards them with her powers. The sisters grabbed the book, and just managed to orb away before the fireball destroyed the window which was before them mere seconds before.

* * *

As the magical community groaned at Billie's near miss, Paige stared at them in disbelief.

"After everything we did for them … some gratitude, huh?"

"Oh, believe me, Paige, when I first saw this happening, I wanted nothing more than to come back and personally attack them all, Billie and Christie especially. However, there was a higher evil to be concerned about, one which was manipulating everything."

"The Triad …" sighed Paige.

"Exactly," said Prue, "They had planned out this Ultimate Battle years before the Charmed Ones first existed. Their plan was for not only you guys to die … but Billie and Christie too. That way, nothing could stop them from taking over the magical world."

"Well, good thing we were around to put a stop to that!"

"True …" said Prue, then, her smile fading, "Of course, if it wasn't for Coop, things could have turned out _very_ differently … in the most tragic of ways."


	23. The Ultimate Battle

Ultimate Battle time!

Not much else to say for this one, except enjoy and please review! :P

* * *

**The Ultimate Battle**

A puff of smoke billowed from the cauldron as Piper and Paige added potion ingredients to it. The accompanying blast could be heard by Phoebe, who walked in from the adjoining hall to the attic. She had more magical ingredients in her hands.

"Hey, you guys, keep it down," she said, "They could still be in the house, you know."

"Here's hoping!" said Piper, as she and Paige continued to add to the cauldron.

"Yeah, but we don't wanna have to attack before we're ready."

"Yeah, well, I wish we hadn't taken the Book of Shadows to your condo," said Paige, as Phoebe too began to add to the cauldron, "We could have used it."

"I don't think we're gonna need it," said Piper.

"Still, I don't want to take any chances after what happened last time,"" said Paige, as Phoebe added one final condiment.

"OK, well, that should be enough," she said, "I mean, they_ are_ human, after all."

"I'm not so sure …" said Piper warningly, as Phoebe sighed solemnly, "All right, get the vials."

Phoebe picked up three potion vials, and began to add spoonfuls of vanquishing potion to each of them.

"It's a shame you weren't around," said older Paige to Prue, "We could have used your help."

"With fighting Billie and Christie?" asked Prue.

"Well, that … or ensuring that we didn't _have_ to fight them in the first place …"

"Yeah … I could tell this wasn't an easy task for any of you, not even Piper …"

"Really?" said Paige, "I always thought she was the most willing to fight them."

"She _was _… but that doesn't mean she liked it …"

Just then, they turned to see the sisters walk out of the attic, potion vials in hand.

"C'mon, let's go," said Prue, and she and Paige followed their sisters out of the attic.

* * *

The Charmed Ones searched every room of the upper landing, but there was no sign of either Billie or Christie. They then continued their search slowly downstairs in the main hall, from which they could see into the main area of the Manor. Again, there was no sign of them.

"Well, I guess they're not here," said Paige.

"Maybe they're at Magic School," suggested Phoebe.

Just then, Billie and Christie walked through into the conservatory from the sitting room.

"No, we're not," said Billie, and the sisters turned to face them.

"Waiting for us, I see?" said Paige.

"We knew you'd have to come back here eventually," said Christie, as she and Billie stepped into the hall.

"Yes, well seeing how it _is_ our house …"

Piper then noticed the potion vials in their hands.

"Oh, wow, I see we have potions!" she said, in mock enthusiasm.

"You taught me well," said Billie, and Piper smiled sarcastically to Phoebe, before they turned back to their enemies.

"So … what are you waiting for?" said Christie, with a small sly smirk. Paige sensed that something was not quite right about this scenario.

"Nothing," said Piper as she and Phoebe prepared to throw their potions.

"Stop it! Stop!"

Piper and Phoebe looked at Paige, confused as to why she would stop them. At the same time, Christie scowled as she turned to her sister.

"I told you this wouldn't make them attack first!"

As the Charmed Ones turned back, they saw Billie and Christie vanish in a flash of pink light.

"What was that?" asked Phoebe, as the sisters walked over to where Billie and Christie had stood.

"Billie's projection power," explained Paige.

As the sisters stopped, they heard the sound of hurrying footsteps behind them. They turned around, and immediately threw their potions towards the real Billie and Christie, who, at the same time, threw _their_ potions towards the Charmed Ones.

The five vials met in the middle, and exploded on impact, pushing the large couch and tables in the centre of the room aside. The large blast of fire also threw the sisters through the conservatory, and crashing through the windows. At the same time, Billie and Christie were thrown upwards, right through the banister of the staircase and into the wall behind it.

After witnessing this, Prue and Paige ran through to the conservatory. They looked out of the shattered windows to see their sisters lying on the grass. Phoebe and Paige rose up, and Phoebe noticed a seemingly unconscious Piper.

"Are you OK?" said Paige.

"Piper, are you OK?" said Phoebe anxiously. Piper moved her arms and murmured in reply.

Phoebe then looked through the shattered window, frowning. Prue and Paige turned, and saw Christie leering back at her.

"Oh my gosh, you're hurt!" said Billie, placing her hand on Christie's shoulder, who pulled away.

"Where are the other vials?" she exclaimed.

"She never stops, does she?" said older Paige, with a sigh.

"Let's get her out of here."

Upon hearing Phoebe's voice, Prue and Paige turned back. They only just managed to see the last of Paige's blue orbs vanish, along with the Charmed Ones.

"Damn it!"

"All right, c'mon, we gotta take care of this," said Billie, pulling on Christie's arm.

"No, it doesn't matter!"

"Well, it matters to me! Let's go!"

Prue and Paige watched the sisters run up the staircase, Christie staring at the shattered window as they did. As they ran out of sight, Prue sighed.

"You know, Paige, I don't think this battle could have been avoided even if I _were_ here," she said.

"How d'ya figure?" asked Paige.

"Well, think about it - fifteen years of demon upbringing … that doesn't just go away. I mean, take this very scenario, for example - Christie was injured and Billie was trying to comfort her, but all Christie was concerned about was the next attack on you."

"So, what are you saying - that nothing we could have done could have saved Christie?"

"I'm afraid Christie is the perfect example of a lost cause …" said Prue, frowning.

Paige sighed solemnly as she took in what Prue said.

"Anyway …" said Prue, "time to move on. So, after this short battle, you went to Phoebe's condo, where you met a demon named Nomed."

"The British one?" asked Paige, then, as Prue nodded, "Oh yeah, our 'demon friend' … that _still _sounds weird to say …"

"Well, it's a good thing he helped," said Prue, "because him and his friend were the ones who told you about the Triad's plan to use the Hollow."

"The most insane plan ever concocted if you ask me …"

"There was one problem, however - Billie and Christie alone did not have the power required to summon it. They need, as they put it, 'Charmed power' …"

Paige sighed solemnly again.

"Wyatt …"

* * *

A mass of blue orbs shimmered down into the attic of the Manor. They cleared to reveal a small boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, who smiled as he recognised a blonde woman sitting on a couch before him.

"Wyatt, what are you doing here, honey?" asked Billie.

"I'm gonna help Mummy," said Wyatt.

Billie rose to her feet, and began to walk towards him. However, before she could reach him, a demon shimmered in behind him. He too was blonde.

"And the best way to do that is to help Aunt Billie and her sister get more powers," he said.

"Dumain, what is this?" said Billie.

"But the kind of power they need can only be summoned with great power itself - Charmed power," continued Dumain, "It's the only way to summon the Hollow."

"That's crazy! We can't do …"

"You don't have a choice," interrupted Dumain, "It's the only way to guarantee success. It's the only way to save the greater good, and it's the only way to save Wyatt and Chris from following in the wrong footsteps."

Billie turned to Christie, who had walked in during Dumain's speech, who nodded in agreement. Billie then turned back to Wyatt, sighing with uncertainty.

"That slimy, power-hungry bastard!" said Paige aloud.

"Well, at least _now _you understand that I'm the only one that can hear you," said Prue, smirking.

"It's true, though! Only a demon would be _sick_ enough to use a _three-year-old _child as a power source for summoning the Hollow!"

"Yeah, well, demons never were known for their tolerance of other beings, especially those who worked for the really powerful ones …"

Paige took a deep calming breath to settle her nerves.

"OK, let's just … move on to the next memory before I give myself a heart attack."

Prue grabbed her hand, and the two transported back to Phoebe's condo. There, they saw Piper and Phoebe sitting on a large couch, with the Book of Shadows opened at the page for the Hollow. The younger Paige was pacing back and forth before them, and Nomed and his fellow demon were standing behind them.

"Look, I want to get them as much as anybody else, but at what cost?" said Paige, "Y'know, if we take this in, how do we get rid of it?"

"Well, there's a spell right here," said Piper, pointing to the page in the Book.

"OK … if we summon the Hollow, and we get infected, who's going to be around to say it?"

"She's got a point …" said Phoebe.

"Well, we can take Billie and Christie out before we get infected," suggested Piper, "or we can do nothing, let them get the Hollow … and then all of this really won't matter, 'cause then we'll be dead."

"You do realise, of course, that taking out Billie and Christie will only eliminate _today's _problems," said Nomed, "What about _tomorrow's_?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Piper.

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about the Triad - you're going to have to go after them too, if you really want this nightmare to be over. Otherwise, they're gonna keep finding new ways to attack you for another eight years."

"But with the Hollow," said the other demon, "you'll have the power to vanquish them once and for all."

"How do we know you're not going to come after us next?" said Paige.

"We might …" said Nomed, "but probably not anytime soon. No, we're not powerful enough to challenge the Charmed Ones - no demon who remains is, save for the Triad. You decimated the old guard and we … well, we need time to rebuild. We might be ready when your next generation takes power."

"I'll be looking forward to it," said Piper, smirking.

"Well, there'll be nothing _to_ look forward to, unless you take in the Hollow. Now."

As Phoebe and Paige contemplated their choice, Piper stared across the room, and apparently noticed something. Older Paige followed her line of vision, and was surprised to see what looked like the ghost of Leo Wyatt.

"Leo …"

Meanwhile, Phoebe and Paige had noticed Piper's stare, and followed her line of vision. However, they could not see anything.

"Do you see him again?" asked Phoebe, turning to Piper.

"Yes."

Just then, Leo faded away, but Piper continued to look at the spot. Older Paige turned to Prue to comment on what had just happened, but she found that Prue appeared to be staring into space. Her eyes were fixed on Piper.

"Let's do it."

Paige was taken by surprise as she heard Phoebe speak. She saw the Charmed Ones and the demons look at one another in silent agreement.

"Prue …" said Paige, tapping her on the arm, "Prue!"

"Huh …? What?"

"Are you OK? You were just staring into space."

"Oh no, I'm fine … just fine," said Prue, "Just … reminiscing, that's all."

Paige placed her hand on Prue's shoulder, as they watched the Charmed Ones prepare to summon the Hollow. A few minutes passed, then, with a sigh, Prue placed her hand upon Paige's, and they were surrounded by light.

* * *

When the light cleared, Prue and Paige were still in Phoebe's condo, but now it was night. The Charmed Ones were gathered around the Book of Shadows, as the demons watched from the open balcony door.

"So, here we go …" said Paige, as she watched Piper write the summoning spell onto a piece of paper, "It's weird - this is almost … _thrilling_ to watch, even though I know what will happen. Maybe it's because I know everything turns out alright in the end … what do you think, Prue?"

When she did not answer, Paige turned to her sister. Again, she seemed distracted.

"Reminiscing again?" asked Paige.

"No," said Prue, "I've just had an idea …"

She walked into the middle of the room, Paige following. She turned, so that the sisters were on her right, and then waved her left arm.

The familiar magical screen appeared, although this time, it was growing far bigger than before. When it stopped growing, it was easily as big as the front window of a large department store.

"Whoa …"

Paige looked into the screen, and there she could see the attic of the Manor. Billie was walking over to Wyatt, as Dumain stepped aside and Christie watched. She knelt down beside him.

* * *

"_Look, you only have to hold our hands and we'll do the rest, OK?" she said._

"_OK," said Wyatt._

"_I just hope one day you'll understand …"_

* * *

"Ah, I see …" said Paige, looking from the screen to her sisters and back, "Now we can see this memory from both sides - clever thinking, Prue."

"Well, I'd like to think I come up with _some_ good ideas every now and then," said Prue, as she and Paige shared a laugh, "Oh, wait, I think they're starting …"

And so, Prue and Paige stayed standing in the middle of the room, having clear views of both groups of sisters. Moments later, the Charmed Ones and the Ultimate Power with Wyatt recited the spell to summon the Hollow:

"_Nos dico super inconcessus  
__Vox bonus quod malum  
__Ultirusque a profugus  
__Addo is Hic, Addo is Iam …"_

"Talk about stereo!" said Paige, as the sisters continued to chant.

"Just wait until the Hollow arrives," said Prue, "I'm sure _that_'s going to be loud!"

"…_Ultirusque a profugus  
__Addo is Hic, Addo is Iam …"_

Suddenly, the witches stopped chanting. Almost immediately after they did, Paige heard a faint buzzing sound.

"Here it comes …"

Moments later, a couple of full-length windows behind the magical screen burst open, and what looked like a swarm of black buzzing bees swept through, and straight into the bodies of the Charmed Ones. At the same time, a similar swarm infected the bodies of Billie and Christie, and all five pairs of eyes flashed black for a couple of seconds before returning to normal.

* * *

"The Hollow is a parasite," said Dumain, as Prue and Paige turned to the screen, "Its thirst for power is insatiable. It _craves_ it, absorbs it. Now take his."

Paige gasped as Wyatt conjured his magical force field to protect himself.

"Hold out your hands."

Billie and Christie did so, and the shield was sucked away through their hands, along with the rest of Wyatt's powers.

"Now you have his powers, all of them, including his power to orb."

Just then, Wyatt vanished in a swirl of blue orbs.

"But that's not possible!" yelled Dumain. He looked up at Billie and Christie, who stared at him piercingly.

"W-wait …"

Christie's eyes then began to glow yellow, before streams of fire shot out. Dumain only just managed to shimmer away, and the fire destroyed the cabinet that was behind him.

"Serves him right …"

Suddenly, Paige jumped as she heard an explosion. She turned to her right, and saw the sisters face the open balcony doors, Piper's hands outstretched. As Paige turned to the door, she saw that the right door had been destroyed.

Moments later, Nomed's friend appeared, having apparently been shoved into view. He threw two energy balls towards the sisters, but these were absorbed by the Hollow. The sisters then conjured two energy balls each, and threw them towards the demon. He was vanquished as they made impact.

"Hmm …" said the younger Paige, in a casual tone.

"First the Triad …"

"… then Billie and Christie," said Piper, finishing Phoebe's sentence. Prue then took Paige's hand, and they flashed away.

* * *

They re-appeared in the hall of the Manor. It appeared to be deserted.

"Where is everyone?" said Paige, as she and Prue walked slowly forwards.

"Don't worry, they'll be here soon," replied Prue, "After all, you guys stopped off to vanquish the Triad before you got here, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Paige, "By the way, whatever happened to Nomed?"

"Oh, well, after he sacrificed his friend …"

"Wait, Nomed let his friend die?" said Paige.

"I don't think that was his initial plan. He wanted you to absorb his powers, to counteract Billie and Christie's. He probably knew he would die though, but he would have seen it as a necessary sacrifice for the destruction of the Triad. Anyway, after that … he probably went into hiding, waiting until the next generation takes power."

"Well, I'm sure we'll be seeing him at some point in the future …"

Just then, they both heard jingling in the air.

"It's time," they said in unison.

In the opening of the conservatory, the Charmed Ones orbed in. They were holding hands, with their backs to the hall.

"We've been waiting for you."

Both groups of sisters turned around to see Billie and Christie walk down the stairs.

"Well, the wait is over," said Paige, as Billie and Christie stopped before the broken banister.

"No potions, huh?" said Piper.

"We don't _need_ any potions," said Christie.

"Funny … neither do we," said Phoebe.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you," said Piper.

"You should have followed your instincts," said Christie.

"Next time …" shrugged Piper.

"There won't be a next time …" said Billie, as Piper shook her head.

There was then a few moments of silence, and Paige and Prue could feel the tension in the air. And then …

Fire shot out from Billie and Christie's hands, while lightning shot out from those of the Charmed Ones. The powers collided in the middle of the hall, forming a large mass of power which grew as it was continuously fed.

The five sisters stood rooted to the spot as fire and lightning bolts shot out from the power battle, destroying tables, the grandfather clock and blasting holes in the walls.

"Paige, we might want to step back …" said Prue, as she pulled on her arm.

Suddenly, the central mass of power grew too great, and there was an almighty explosion. Billie, Christie, Piper, Phoebe and Paige were thrown into the air by the blast, as Prue and Paige quickly flashed away before the blast reached them.

* * *

They re-appeared in the middle of Prescott Street, outside the Manor.

"Prue, why are we …?"

Before she could finish, Paige screamed as the almighty blast almost deafened her. She then turned around.

"No …"

The Manor was practically destroyed. Broken walls of the lower floor, a flaming broken banister, and mounds of debris were all that remained.

"Now, Paige …"

Before Prue could stop her, Paige had began to sprint towards the Manor ruins. It appeared that she had forgotten that this was a memory, but Prue understood how she felt as she ran after her baby sister.

* * *

Paige ran through the debris, trying to find her sisters. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Paige!"

Prue had managed to catch up with her.

"Paige, remember, this is a memory," she said, "As much as I know you want to, you won't be able to physically change anything. You couldn't anyway, because it would …"

"Change history, I know!" yelled Paige, then, trying to calm herself, "Sorry … I just … Piper had told us what had happened, but …"

"Seeing it with your own eyes is something completely different," said Prue softly.

As Paige nodded sadly in agreement, they both heard soft groaning. They turned around to see Piper slowly emerge from the debris. She was covered in dirt, with torn clothing and her face was covered in bloody scars. She coughed as she rose unsteadily to her feet, and surveyed her surroundings in clear shock.

As she began to make her way through the wreck to find her sisters, Prue and Paige followed her. Piper scanned the floor as she walked, and soon she saw something that made her stop.

A hand was sticking out from under a pile of broken wood. On its wrist was a watch, and a tattoo.

"Phoebe …"

Prue and Paige watched with heavy hearts as Piper fell to her knees, and threw away the debris to get to her sister.

"Phoebe, c'mon …" she said softly, as she picked Phoebe up in her arms, "Wake up, wake up! Come on, it's OK. Look at me, look at me!"

"Breathe, sweetie, c'mon kiddo, wake up …!"

She began to sob softly, as she cuddled her sister's dead body. Paige too began to sob, and even Prue shed a few tears.

After some time had passed - how much, Paige was unsure - Prue tapped her lightly on the arm, and then pointed in front of her. Paige looked, and saw the Angel of Destiny appear in her swirling golden light.

As Piper too looked up at her, The Angel of Destiny held out her hand. The golden globe flew out of it, and erupted into swirls of golden orbs, which formed the figure of a man.

"Leo …" said Paige softly.

Leo looked around at the ruined Manor, and then walked towards his wife, shocked as he saw Phoebe.

"Piper …"

As he knelt down beside her, Piper shook her head, sobbing. Leo looked at her in heartbroken disbelief.

"The battle is over," said the Angel of Destiny, "though not as I expected."

As Leo and Piper hugged each other, Piper sobbing into his shoulder, the Angel of Destiny left in her golden swirling light.

"You OK?" asked Prue, as she looked at Paige, who hastily wiped her eyes.

"I just can't believe it …" said Paige softly, "I mean … how differently things could have turned out …"

"Yeah …" said Prue softly, looking at Piper, "I know …"

Just then, everyone heard more groaning in the distance.

"Paige?" said Piper, as Paige turned quickly in the direction of the groans, and Prue merely sighed softly.

"Hold her, hold her," said Piper, handing Phoebe over to Leo, "Paige!"

As Leo held Phoebe, Piper followed the sound of debris, with Paige in quick pursuit. Prue followed more slowly.

"Paige …" said Piper, as she starting clearing more debris. Eventually, she reached the person beneath, who coughed as she breathed in fresher air. It was not Paige.

"Billie …"

Paige gasped as Piper suddenly jumped onto Billie, punching her in the face. She then began to strangle her.

"Piper! What are you doing? Stop!"

Leo began to run through the ruin, Prue beside him.

"What's the matter with you? You're gonna kill her!"

Leo pulled Piper off Billie, Piper struggling as he did.

"No, let go of me!" yelled Piper, as Billie got to her feet and began to run, "Stop! You don't understand - STOP!"

"Christie?" called Billie, who was taken aback as Piper blew up debris beside her. She then ran as fast as she could, cowering as Piper blew up a piece of banister above her.

"Why did you do that?" Piper yelled as Leo, "You let her get away!"

"Look, we need to get out of here," said Leo, "There's nothing left for us here, OK? DO you understand me?"

Police sirens echoed in the distance.

"We have to go."

Leo took Piper's hand, and the two ran through the debris as quickly as they could. Prue watched them go, and then sighed again.

"There are few other moments in the last five years than this one that made me want to be with you more than anything," she said, "I hated how helpless I felt, watching but not being able to help ..."

She wiped her eyes, as she cleared her throat.

"Thank goodness for Coop, right, Paige?"

She turned around. Paige was standing with her back to her, her head hung low.

"Paige?" repeated Prue, as she walked towards her, "Paige, what is it?"

"They … they never even found me …" she said softly, "I mean, I uderstand why they had to leave, but … I could have survived, and they would never have known …"

"Well, it didn't matter in the end," said Prue consolingly, "Piper went back in time and saved both of you."

"Yeah, I know … but I … you know …"

She sighed sadly. She then turned to Prue, who was biting her lip.

"What is it?" asked Paige.

Prue looked at Paige, and Paige could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Follow me."

* * *

Prue walked through the ruins, and Paige followed. They walked behind a wall of debris, and then Prue stopped.

"Prue, what …?"

Prue looked at Paige, then to the floor, then back up at her. Paige slowly walked past Prue, looking across the floor, and she soon saw what Prue wanted her to see.

Paige Matthews lay on the ground. Her clothing was torn, her face covered in dirt and blood. Almost instantly, Paige knew her younger self was dead.

"I'm sorry, Paige …"

Prue walked over to Paige's side. Paige was silent, staring at her own dead body.

"This is just … so surreal," she said finally, in barely more than a whisper, "To think that me and Phoebe had died … and not even remembering it …"

Prue wrapped her arm around her sister, and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Can we … can we go now?"

Prue looked up at Paige, and saw the tears forming.

"Of course," said Prue softly, and mere moments later, they were gone.


	24. Forever Charmed Part 1

OMG! UPDATE! :D

I know it has been AGES and AGES since I've provided a new chapter, but here it is! As you can see, we're now at "Forever Charmed", which means we're almost done with the memory quest (which is fantastic news for me, as it gets frustrating after a while! :P)

Anyway, enjoy! :)

* * *

**Forever Charmed - Part 1**

"Oh ..."

"Hi daddy ..."

A solemn Piper walked into her father's apartment, and into his arms.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy to see you," said Victor. As they parted, Victor was surprised to see Leo walk in after her.

"Leo! You're back!"

"Hello, Victor," said Leo, as they shook hands

"I don't believe it! This is good, right? Everything worked out alright?"

Victor smiled at Piper, who could not look into her father's eyes.

"Umm, maybe you should sit down ..." she said softly.

His face falling, Victor looked from Piper to Leo, and noticed the anguish mirrored in his face.

"No, I don't wanna sit down," said Victor, turning back to Piper, "What happened? What's going on?"

"Well ... Phoebe and Paige ... umm ... they didn't make it ..."

"What ...?"

"But it's OK, I mean, I'm gonna fix it! I don't know _how_, but ... I'm gonna fix it."

Victor slumped down into the chair behind him, completely lost for words.

"Where's Wyatt and Chris?" asked Leo

"Uh, sleeping ..." said Victor softly, pointing into the other room. Leo nodded slightly, and Piper watched him walk through.

"We need to ... take them someplace where no-one can find them so that we can figure this out," said Piper, turning back to Victor, "Do you understand?"

"No. What about the Elders – can't they help?"

"Apparently not."

"Well, how about the rest of the magical community?" said Victor frantically, "What about that guy, uh ... Coop?"

"How do you know about Coop?" asked Piper.

"Well, he was here yesterday, looking for Phoebe!"

"Who's Coop?"

Piper turned to Leo as she heard his voice.

"Uh, he's a Cupid ..."

Realisation then struck her.

"... who took Phoebe to see her past loves ..."

"So?" asked Victor.

"So ... maybe he can do the same for us. Coop! If you can hear me, I need to talk to you now!"

At her call, Coop appeared in the usual flash of light. He sighed.

"Guys, if this is about Phoebe, she's made it very clear to me about the way she feels, so ..."

"Phoebe's dead."

Coop was taken aback by Piper's sudden revelation.

"...what?"

"But, if you lend me your ring, I think I can go back in time and save her," said Piper, "It can do that, right? I mean, you can go back in time?"

"Yeah, to follow love, but ..."

"OK, then hand it over."

Coop looked down at his hand, and slowly removed the large ring from his finger, before handing it to Piper.

"OK, what do I do?" she asked, taking the ring, "How does it work?"

"You ... just think about that person, and how much you love them," explained Coop, "I gotta tell ya, it doesn't always work the way you want it to, though, because love ... love isn't practical, it's emotional ..."

"That's OK," said Piper softly, "It's all I've got."

"I'm going with you ..."

Leo walked over to Piper, and took her hands in his.

"I'm not losing you again," he said, as they smiled at each other.

"Keep it simple," advised Coop, "Just focus your heart to one of them."

Piper closed her eyes, took a deep breath and began to focus.

"Phoebe ..."

Moments later, Piper and Leo vanished from the scene.

"So, they went back in time to save us, ended up meeting Mum and Grams instead, recreated the Power of Three, and travelled back to the Manor, just in time to stop the Ultimate Battle before we all died."

As she finished, Paige turned to Prue, whose eyebrows were raised.

"What?" asked Paige, with a small smile, "After all the memories we've been through, you don't think I've picked up how this works?"

"Smart alec ..." said Prue, smirking, "So, you remember what happened from _our_ side, but what about _Billie's_?"

She took Paige's hand and they vanished.

* * *

They re-appeared in the corridor of a darkened and seemingly deserted Magic School.

"Feels ominous," said Paige, as she and Prue walked towards the Grand Hall.

"Yeah, well, demons don't exactly do bright and cheery," said Prue.

"_All you need to do is focus on saving your sister, which means focusing on the battle. Let's try again._"

"Who's that?" asked Paige.

"Dumain," said Prue, and then, upon seeing Paige's look of confusion, "Remember - the messenger boy between the Ultimate Power and the Triad?"

"Oh yeah ..."

As the sisters entered the Grand Hall, they could see Dumain standing over Billie, who was sitting in the middle of a circle of candles. Her legs were crossed, and her eyes were closed – she was in a meditative state.

"Clear your mind of everything else, from all that has happened since," said Dumain, as Billie focused, "Let go of the pain of loss, because where you're going, that hasn't happened yet. Think only of Christie, see her at your side ... you want to save her more than anything else, and that's what you're going to do ..."

He squatted down beside her.

"That's it – you're almost there. Now go ... project yourself back ... to the Triad ..."

At that instant, Billie's eyes opened.

"The _Triad_?"

She rose to her feet.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she said, as Dumain rose up, "Are you trying to trick me?"

"No, of course not ..."

"Then what was _that_? You said I was going back to see my sister!"

"You're right," said Dumain, "I should have told you."

"Should have told me _what_? What's going on?"

"What's going on," explained Dumain impatiently, "is that if you don't go back to warn the Triad about the battle, they won't be able to stop it ... which means they'll still be killed, and so will your sister!"

Billie was shocked into silence for a moment before she spoke.

"So ... you're saying the Triad was still alive ...?"

"More or less ..." replied Dumain, smirking.

"And you didn't tell me...?"

Dumain's smirk faded at the sight of Billie's anger.

"So, you've been _manipulating_ me this entire time, and Christie too?"

"Christie understands _exactly_ what is going on ..."

"And what might _that_ be?"

"Why don't you go back and ask her yourself?" said Dumain, "Then maybe you'll understand too ..."

For a few moments, Billie stared at Dumain in silence, angry yet confused. Eventually realising the best option was to do as Dumain said, she sighed in frustration, and returned to the circle of candles. She returned to her meditative state, and focused.

"Christie ... Christie ... Christie ..."

Suddenly, in a blinding white light, she vanished.

"So, she ..."

"... travelled back to the Ultimate Battle," said Prue, "which I think is where we should go next ..."

* * *

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you."

"You should have followed your instincts."

"Next time ..."

"There won't _be_ a next time ..."

Just then, there was a flash of lilac light, and Piper, Leo, Patty and Penny all appeared in the dining room. They were unnoticed by the five combatants of the Ultimate Battle, but not by Prue and Paige who had appeared seconds before.

The five girls then threw out their arms, and fire and lightning met in the middle of the hall as the battle began once again. As it did, Piper, Patty and Penny began to recite a spell:

"_Yam is addo, hic is addo,  
Malum quad bonus,  
Vox inconcesses,  
Super dico nos ..."_

As they finished, the eyes of all five girls flashed black, moments before the fire and lightning subsided as the black swirling mass of the Hollow exited all their bodies. As they looked around, the confusion of the combatants was added to as Piper, Patty, Penny and Leo stepped forwards.

"What the ...?" said present Piper, as she stepped forwards with her sisters.

"Don't ask – you'll get a headache," warned future Piper.

Just then, more confusion was added as the future Billie descended the stairs, stopping halfway down to survey the scene. Suddenly, she and the future Piper morphed into bodies of light and joined together with their respective past selves.

"Now _there's_ something you don't see every day ..." said Penny, as Patty smiled.

"What is going on ...?" said Paige.

"Looks like time caught up with itself," suggested Leo.

"How did everybody get here?" asked Phoebe.

"Well ... actually, you have Coop to thank for that," said Piper.

"What happened? What went wrong?" said Christie frantically.

"Not here ..."

As everyone turned, Billie threw a vial at her feet, and she and Christie vanished in a swirl of grey smoke.

"Damn it!" sighed Piper.

"It's OK, at least Phoebe and Paige are alive," said Leo.

"Right, but where's Prue?" said Patty.

"Oh, Mum ..." said Piper nervously, "Uh, not now ..."

Just then, a swirling sound could be heard from above. Everyone looked up to see a golden orb of light fly over their heads, before slowly descending towards the ground. As it did, it opened, and the Angel of Destiny appeared in a swirling mass of golden orbs.

"Wait ..."

"I'm sorry," said the Angel to Piper, "but I have no choice."

"But ..."

Piper sighed, as the Angel stood by Leo. The two shared one last solemn look before Leo vanished with the Angel into the golden orb, which then left through the shattered window behind the crowd.

"The course of true love never did run smooth ... especially for them ..." said Paige.

"Yeah, but least we know how the story ends ..." said Prue, sharing a smile with Paige, "But speaking of courses not running smoothly ..."

Prue conjured the magical screen again, and Paige could see Billie and Christie walking along the street at night.

* * *

"_We're gonna need Dumain's help if we're going to finish what we've started."_

"_Haven't you been listening to me?" said Billie, "He's been manipulating us, probably since we met him."_

"_If we could just get to the Hollow sooner this time ..."_

"_Christie, listen, what is the matter with you?"_

_Billie pulled on Christie's arm, and both of them came to a stop on the sidewalk._

"_Dumain is using us OK?" she said, "And he's not the only one – the Triad is also."_

_Christie stared at her in disbelief._

"_Yes, that's right, they're still alive, or they were, but Dumain didn't tell us, did he?" said Billie, "Instead, he tried to trick me into saving _them_ instead of _you_."_

"_Well, maybe you should have listened to him."_

"_What?"_

"_The Triad could have helped us figure out how to kill the sisters if they were still around," said Christie._

"_OK, look at me, listen to me very carefully – they don't care about us!" insisted Billie, "They have twisted everything; they're using us, Christie! They're using us for our powers, our sisterhood, and our live, so that all we can do is kill!"_

"_And that's exactly what we're going to do, Billie," said Christie, "we're going to kill!"_

"_Well, I can't do it ... I won't!"_

"_Then I'll do it on my own!"_

_Billie was stunned as she watched her sister walk away from her._

"_Christie!"_

_She even ignored Billie's call as she walked away from her, leaving Billie frustrated._

* * *

As Prue waved her arm to remove the screen, their surroundings also briefly flashed white.

"Wait, what was that?" asked Paige.

"Just speeding things along," said Prue, "I'm particularly fond of this memory ..."

As the two turned around, Paige was surprised to see the backs of two familiar people.

"I mean, I don't know what happened!" said an adult Chris, "At first, everything was fine – we're kicking demon ass ..."

"Actually, _I_ was kicking demon ass," said an adult Wyatt, as Chris scoffed in reply.

"Watch your language!" said a familiar voice from the other room.

"Grams ..." said Paige softly, as she and Prue walked through to the other room.

"Sorry, Grams," said Chris.

"Wait, Grams? As in _the_ Grams?" said Wyatt.

Prue and Paige entered the room at that point, and saw Phoebe and the past Paige sitting in the chairs nearest them. Patty and Penny were sitting at the opposite side of the room, Penny's red hair indicating that she was from the past. Piper was standing to the sisters' far left.

"Uh, confused," said Patty, "Uh, are these _my_ future grandkids, or _yours_?"

"No, yours," replied Phoebe, with a smile.

"Oh ... hi," said Patty to Wyatt and Chris with a smile. The boys waved in reply.

"As you were saying?" said Piper.

"Suddenly, in the middle of all the fighting, everything changed," continued Wyatt.

"And the demons started kicking our ass – butts, _butts ..._" said Chris, correcting himself, and receiving a nod of acceptance from Penny, "just because Wyatt here lost his powers."

"Wait, how did you lose your powers?" asked Piper.

"That's the thing – we don't know," said Wyatt.

"So, we cast a spell to take us back to when they were lost, and it led us here, to you," said Chris.

"Maybe we messed up something without realising it," suggested Patty.

"Well, with all the jumping around we've done, it's a wonder _everything's_ not messed up," said Penny.

"No, it's gotta be Billie and Christie," said Piper, "They used the Hollow to steal his powers. I'm gonna _kill_ them ..."

"Well, before you do that, we need to get Wyatt's powers back," said Paige, "otherwise, there's not gonna be any future to save."

"Well, I think the only way to do that is to go back and stop them," said Phoebe.

"But how do we know exactly _when_ to go back to?" asked Penny.

"I will," chipped in Wyatt, "or at least I'm hoping little Wyatt might jog my memory."

"Well, he's at Dad's – I mean, Grandpa's," said Piper, "Umm, do you remember how to get there?"

"Yeah, absolutely," said Chris.

"I'll go too," said Patty, happily rising to her feet.

"Oh, but Dad's going to be there," warned Phoebe.

"I know, I miss him ..." said Patty, as Phoebe looked at her, confused, "plus I'm dying to know what he looks like at this age!"

"She, uh, doesn't know," explained Piper.

"Apparently, I hadn't chased him away yet ..." said Penny.

"What are you talking ... what don't I know?" said Patty, sighing. Paige shrugged knowingly, as Prue and the older Paige shared knowing looks.

"Alright, everybody go, but you know, hurry back if you find anything," said Piper.

Patty walked past her mother to join Wyatt and Chris. Just then, Coop appeared in a flash of lilac light.

"Hey ..." he said softly to Piper. He then looked up, and was surprised to see, alive and well ...

"Phoebe!"

"Hi," she said.

"Thanks a lot for telling me she was alive!" Coop said to Piper.

"You're welcome," she replied, handing him his ring.

"Uncle Coop ..."

Just then, everyone turned to Wyatt, who had covered his mouth after his sudden outburst. Chris stared at him in disappointment, as everyone else wore looks of shock, but none was greater than Phoebe's.

"_Uncle_ Coop? What? But ... I ... Ah ..."

"Alright!" yelled Piper, "Everyone out! Go!"

With that, Wyatt, Chris and Patty orbed away. Phoebe turned to Coop, who looked back, puzzled.

"OK, let's get to the condo, and get to the Book."

Piper rose to the feet, and joined her sisters as they too rose.

"Wait for me," said Penny, as she joined them.

"But I ..."

Before Coop could finish, the four witches had orbed away. He sighed impatiently, before disappearing himself.

"Well, that certainly was a turn up for the books, wasn't it?" said Paige.

"Oh yeah ..." said Prue, with a small laugh, "Still, it kinda makes sense – Phoebe was always trying to find love, so who better for her to fall for than a Cupid?"

Paige nodded in agreement, as Prue took her hand.

"Now, from one shock to another ..."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	25. Forever Charmed Part 2

QUICK UPDATE!

Ok, so this chapter takes us through the rest of the episode "Forever Charmed". After this, I have JUST ONE MORE chapter of memories left to get through, and after that, there will just be 3 or 4 chapters left, which will be ALL MY OWN STUFF! :D

We're getting very close to the conclusion now, and I hope you'll all enjoy it! :)

* * *

**Forever Charmed - Part 2**

A swirl of orbs, and Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Penny appeared in the sitting room of the Manor. Penny was holding the Book of Shadows, and the sisters each had a potion vial.

"OK, all we need to do now is find Billie and Christie," said Paige.

"You don't have to look far ..."

The four turned around, to see Billie walk through from the front door. The shame was apparent on her face.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"Gotta love the tension here!" said Prue, and she and Paige watched from the back of the room. Her sister smirked.

"Look, I am so sorry for what I've done to you guys after everything you've done for me," said Billie, "I just wanted my sister back so badly, that I couldn't even see that she was manipulating me ..."

"Well, that's very convenient," said Piper, "but how are we supposed to know this isn't a trap?"

"I guess we have to let her talk," said Paige.

"Where's Christie?" Phoebe asked Billie.

"I don't know – probably at Magic School, trying to figure out a way to kill you ..."

"But ... you're not?" said a sceptical Penny.

"No, no!" insisted Billie, as Penny placed the Book down, "That was before – they twisted everything to make us think we were doing the right thing!"

"Who?" asked Piper.

"The Triad. They used us, they used Christie, they have sent the last fifteen years turning her into a killer. That's all they've cared about, that's all they've wanted!"

"We already vanquished the Triad," said Phoebe.

"Well, Dumain will find a way to bring them back, I know it!"

"Who's Dumain?" asked Paige.

"He's a demon, but he knows them better than anyone, and with Christie ... they will stop at _nothing_!"

"Mum, are you here?"

Everyone turned as they heard Chris' voice calling from the conservatory.

"Keep an eye on her," said Piper, as she walked through. The others followed, including Prue and older Paige.

"Where's Mum – I mean, Grandma?" asked Piper, as she entered the conservatory. Chris was standing there, along with Wyatt.

"She wanted to stay with Grandpa to talk," explained Wyatt.

"Well, that had better be _all_ that they're doing!" said Penny, as the brothers smirked.

"What did you find?" Piper asked.

"Well, Grandpa said that someone came and picked up Wyatt just before five in the afternoon yesterday," stated Chris.

"Some man, but that's all I could get out of him," added Wyatt.

"Wait, what man?" exclaimed Phoebe.

"Dumain," answered Billie, as everyone turned to her, "He brought Wyatt to Christie and me to summon the Hollow."

"And then you stole his powers ..." murmured Paige.

"We were being infected; we didn't have a choice!" insisted Billie.

"You _used_ my son?" exclaimed Piper, advancing towards Billie.

"That is all in the past, dear – now let's just focus on how to fix it now, okay?"

At Penny's word, Piper sighed and stepped back.

"Okay, so we have to go back in time to the day Dumain took Wyatt ..."

"No, we have to go before that," said Billie, correcting Phoebe, "I know him – he's going to warn the Triad before you can vanquish them."

"Then you have to get the ring," said Paige to Phoebe, as everyone turned to the latter.

Phoebe took a deep breath, and began to call for Coop.

"Coop! Coop! We need you!"

There was no answer, or appearance of Coop.

"Something's wrong ..."

It then became obvious that Wyatt and Chris were shifting uncomfortably, as if they knew something.

"What?" demanded Piper. Wyatt and Chris turned to Phoebe.

"The Elders sent Coop down to you, Phoebe, not just to help you find love, but to help you find _him_," said Chris.

"They were hoping you'd fall in love in a Cupid – it was the only way that they could make it up to you after everything you've sacrificed," continued Wyatt.

"And they weren't going to put you through what Mum and Dad went through, so ..."

"... It wasn't, and it will not be, a forbidden love," finished Wyatt.

"Huh ... OK ..." said Phoebe softly, taken aback by this revelation, "I don't know how that information helps us right now ..."

"Well, in the future, when you're together, you guys are like one," said Wyatt.

"All you have to do is think about him, and he's there," said Chris.

Phoebe then bowed her head and closed her eyes, concentrating on the image of Coop in her mind. There was silence for a few moments, before a flash of lilac light appeared on the floor. As everyone turned to it, they were shocked to see Coop appear, curled up on the floor, groaning in pain.

"Oh my gosh ..."

Phoebe and Wyatt approached Coop, helping him to his feet.

"What happened?"

"I fought him off for as long as I could ..." he groaned.

"Okay, who did this to you?" said Phoebe frantically.

"Some demon ..." replied Coop, "I'm sorry, he ... he took my ring ..."

He showed Phoebe his hand, and indeed, the ring was absent.

"We're too late – they're going back in time ..."

Everyone turned to Billie, as she spoke.

"... but I can too."

"Wait, you actually expect us to _trust_ you, after everything you've done?" exclaimed Piper, "For all we know, you're preparing to throw us to the lions!"

"Piper, we don't have a choice," said Paige, "If we don't stop Dumain, we're done for!"

"She's right, Piper," said Phoebe, "We have to hurry!"

Piper looked from Phoebe to Paige, and then to every other person there. All of them seemed to be silently convincing her that this was the only choice.

"Fine ..." she said finally, "but I warn you, Billie, if this is a trap, I will vanquish you!"

Billie nodded nervously, before the Charmed Ones approached her. The four stood side by side, holding hands, before Billie closed her eyes in concentration.

"Christie ..."

The four then vanished in a blinding white light.

* * *

Prue and Paige appeared in a dark room, lit only by the glowing white platform before them and by the open door beyond that. Standing on the platform were the spirits of the Triad, and they were conversing with the demon, Dumain.

Suddenly, in a flash of lilac light, a second Dumain and Christie appeared by the open door.

"What?" exclaimed Asmodeus.

"My lords!" stated Dumain, as the first Dumain turned to face him, "We come from the future to warn you! The Charmed Ones are going to get the Hollow at the same time Billie and Christie will!"

"Which means we've got to get to it before they do this time!" exclaimed Christie frantically, as the first Dumain and the Triad exchanged worried looks.

Just then, Paige could see, in her peripheral vision, a bright white light begin to appear.

"Get out of here!" yelled the second Dumain, clearly having seen it as well. As the Triad turned, the light faded to reveal the Charmed Ones and Billie, the former of which threw a potion vial each towards the Triad. On impact, the spirits screamed in agony as the potions caused their bodies to catch fire from within. Moments later, their bodies exploded in a bursts of flames.

"NO!" screamed the second Dumain.

"Oh yes!" said Piper, smirking, before she flicked her hands at him. Christie screamed as the second Dumain was vanquished before her eyes.

The first Dumain tried to take this opportunity to shimmer away, but Piper flicked her hands in his direction, and he too was vanquished in a burst of flames.

"I don't understand!" yelled Christie, shaking, "How could this happen?"

"Billie projected us here," explained Phoebe.

"By focusing on you," added Paige.

Christie stared at Billie, shocked that her sister could betray her in such a way. Billie merely looked back, silently pleading with her to understand.

"Paige," said Piper.

"Ring!"

As Christie watched, Coop's ring vanished from her hand in a mass of blue orbs, re-appearing in Paige's outstretched hand. Christie then turned to her sister.

"How could you ...?"

"Christie, please!" pleaded Billie, "It's over! Just come home ...!"

Christie shook her head, as fury built up within her. This fury then materialised before her as a massive ball of fire, as Billie watched in horror.

Suddenly, Christie used her powers to launch the fireball towards Billie. As it got ever nearer, Billie reached out to protect herself, and her powers deflected the fireball, sending it flying back towards Christie.

Failing to protect herself in time, Christie screamed as the fireball made contact. She was vanquished in mere moments, as the others could only watch in shock.

As the horror of what had just happened hit home, Billie began to sob uncontrollably as she fell to her knees. The sisters looked down at her, unsure of whether to empathise with the girl they had come to consider family, or to abandon the traitor who had put them through hell.

"Billie ..."

Phoebe slowly approached Billie, reaching a consoling hand out towards her. However, before she could reach her, Billie disappeared before their eyes in a flash of white light.

Phoebe sighed sadly, as she turned to her sisters.

"I just ..."

"I know," said Paige, "None of us wanted this ..."

Phoebe and Paige both turned to Piper, who was staring at the ground. She slowly raised her head to look at them, sighing.

"Not even me ..." said Piper, "Look, finding her won't help her right now. She should have time with herself for the moment. Besides, we have to get home to make sure everything's back to normal."

"I guess you're right ..." said Phoebe softly.

As the sisters converged, Paige handed Piper the ring. Piper placed it upon her finger, before the three joined hands and vanished.

"Poor Billie ..." sighed Paige.

"I know," said Prue, "but you _did_ finally manage to reach out to her, and you welcomed her back with open arms. I was proud of you guys that day."

"Really? How come?"

"Well, for having the strength to welcome her back into your lives," explained Prue.

"It wasn't a matter of strength," said Paige, "When it came down to it, it just made sense. After all, we all know what it's like to lose someone, and Piper and Phoebe know especially what it's like to lose a sister ..."

Paige placed her hand upon Prue's arm, who smiled. They then vanished.

* * *

"Oh, thank goodness!"

Penny, Wyatt, Chris and Coop beamed as the sisters re-appeared back in the conservatory.

"Is everything alright?" asked Piper, "Did anything change that wasn't supposed to?"

"Nope ..."

Wyatt suddenly orbed away, re-appearing behind his mother.

"... I got my powers back!"

"I see that!" beamed Piper.

"Where's Billie?" asked Chris.

"She used her own power to get back," explained Paige.

"But she at least tried to help out, right?" asked Coop, "Tried to make _amends_, at least?"

"Yep," replied Phoebe, as she and Coop shared a smile.

Just then, a familiar golden orb of light fell down from the heavens. As everyone followed it, it burst open, and in a swirl of golden light, the Angel of Destiny appeared, and Leo was with her. Everyone smiled at the sight of him, but no-one was happier than Piper.

"OK, hang on a second," she said, to the Angel of Destiny, "You're not going to take him away again, right?"

"No," said the Angel of Destiny, with a smile, "This is the way the battle was supposed to end, all along ... and it's over. Congratulations!"

She then vanished in her golden light. As she did, Leo reached out his hand towards Piper.

"Hi, there," Piper said causally, before laughing with glee as Leo pulled her towards him. Everyone clapped and cheered as the two shared a passionate kiss.

Coop then reached out towards Phoebe, who approached him. The clapping and cheering continued as they too kissed.

"Did we miss anything?"

Everyone turned to see Patty and Victor enter the room. Victor was holding Wyatt, and Patty baby Chris.

"Uh, well ... we changed the past, to fix the future, and save the present ... that's all!" said Piper, matter-of-factly.

"What was that?" said Victor, as she and Patty laughed.

"Yeah, if you haven't figured it out by now, you probably won't," said Paige.

"Oh, it doesn't matter, just as long as everything's back to the way it's supposed to be," said Phoebe.

"It _will_ be, if you get us back," said Penny, "I mean otherwise ... well ..."

"How _are_ we gonna get them back?" asked Paige.

"Oh, I can take care of that," said Coop.

"Yeah, but how will you know when to take them back to?" asked Phoebe, leaning into him.

"Well, the ring will, if I ever get it back ..."

Piper sighed, and threw Coop back his ring.

"Just remember to take them back before they were taken," suggested Chris, "That way, they won't remember anything."

"Oh no no, don't do that," pleaded Penny, "I mean, there's just so many things, wonderful things, that I just don't wanna forget, you know ..."

"There's just as much I don't ever want to know ..." said Penny, "Like what happened to Prue ..."

Phoebe and Piper sighed sadly, as older Paige placed her hand upon Prue's shoulder. Prue rubbed Paige's hand as a sign of appreciation.

"Victor told me," explained Patty.

"Oh mum ..."

"That's alright," said Patty, cutting across Piper, "I know everything happens for a reason ... and I believe that."

She then gave a small, almost hopeful smile.

"I also know that when one door closes, another one opens ..."

As the younger Paige shared the smile with her mother, Prue shared a similar smile with the older version of her baby sister.

"Thank you for coming by," said Victor.

"Anytime," replied Patty, as Victor lightly kissed her on the head. Piper and Leo shared a kiss, as Phoebe and Coop did too. Paige then rose to her feet, and hugged Patty, before the entire Halliwell family began to hug, shake hands and laugh together.

"It's not often you get to see this, is it, Paige?" said Prue, "The entire family together ... well, you know, except for ..."

She stopped short, and sighed, looking at the floor.

"Prue ... are you OK?"

Prue quickly raised her head, and forced on another of those not-too-convincing smiles.

"I'm fine," she said, "I'm just thinking ... that I don't have much left to show you ..."

"You mean ..." said Paige, "that the memory quest is over?"

"Almost. I have a few more important memories to show you, and I think we might just find out the reason for this whole thing ... and finally get you back home."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Paige, "let's get to it!"

She grasped Prue's hand firmly. As the familiar light began to appear, Prue took one last look back at the Halliwell family, and sighed sadly once more before the scene vanished.


End file.
